President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump suggested analogous military action against Bogotá, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation was historically a key ally of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have soured significantly following Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded following a landmark accord.
The President's Defiant Response
In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Sanctions
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, it placed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
