The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump threatened comparable use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain the president, whom a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
Washington revoked his travel authorization following he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his wife and various key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
