The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous use of force against Colombia, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation has long been a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically since Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
