The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Claims
Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the trade.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
