Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US troops to disobey unlawful commands. In October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
