The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising strains bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Trump threatened similar military action against Colombia, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Response
When asked whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
