The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains in their relations following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable use of force against Colombia, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and received wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as 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 Strong Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
