The US President along with Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Growing Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened similar use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is 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 Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
