The US President along with Colombia's president have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, stating the country is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders from across the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
Washington cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
