The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened comparable use of force against Bogotá, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
