The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly after Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa following he called on US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and several associates.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
