The US President along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume in their verbal conflict, heightening strains bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
