The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the US president hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which many of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington revoked the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
