The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who likes making cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms following a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
The US cancelled his travel authorization after he called on US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
