Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions in their relations following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Threats and Allegations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar use of force towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have condemned the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
