The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, heightening strains in their relations following American military units struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the business.
A Strained Relationship
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is predominantly run 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 historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Answer
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he encouraged US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
