The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested analogous military action towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing a new constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa following he urged US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and various key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
