The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions coupled with Claims
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa after he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
