Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening strains between the two countries following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous military action against Bogotá, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Response
In response to a query whether military intervention comparable 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, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest me, whom a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
