President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous military action towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a key ally of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have soured dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded following a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Response
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, whom many of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
