The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the volume of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous military action against Colombia, asserting the country is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the business.
A Frayed Relationship
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa following he called on American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out strikes on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
