The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly following Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the political spectrum have denounced the notion of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
