The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations following US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming the nation faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Response
When asked if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the notion of American military action against their nation.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
