The US President along with Colombia's president have escalated the tone of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar military action towards the South American nation, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the political spectrum have condemned the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he urged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
