The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened similar use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
