The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the US president hinted at similar military action against Bogotá, stating the country is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured markedly following Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa after he called on US troops to refuse any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
