The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
