President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous use of force against Colombia, asserting the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa after he encouraged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and several associates.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
