Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, stating the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he urged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. In October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
