President Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened comparable military action towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a close partner of the United States in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have worsened markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and several key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
