The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened similar use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the business.
A Strained Alliance
The country was historically a key ally of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised following a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Response
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture me, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have condemned the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and several associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
