President Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Threats and Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
When asked if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
