President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Threats and Claims
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country was historically a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have worsened markedly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom many of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and several associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
