President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the business.
A Strained Relationship
This nation was historically a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture me, which a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he encouraged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
