‘Come get me’: Colombian president's bold challenge to Donald Trump; verbal spat escalates

Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a bold challenge to US President Donald Trump on Monday, saying, “Come get me. I’m waiting for you here,” as tensions between the two leaders escalated.The statement came in the wake of a US operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, which Trump hailed as "successful." Petro condemned the Venezuelan strike and warned that any US military action in Colombia could have severe consequences.The White House had recently shared an old video of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro saying, “Come get me, don’t be late,” widely seen as a taunt aimed at Trump.

"If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children," Petro said.

"If you bomb peasants, thousands of guerrillas will return in the mountains. And if you arrest the president whom a good part of my people want and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar."Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by emphasizing the country’s commitment to "maintain international relations based on dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect" and stating that it "considers threats or the use of force in relations between States unacceptable."“Come

get me. I’m waiting for you here. Don’t threaten me — I’ll wait for you right here if you want to,” Petro said, responding to comments by Trump that appeared to hint at possible US action against Colombia.Petro rejected the idea of US military intervention, warning against invasions, missile strikes or targeted assassinations. “I don’t accept invasions, missiles, or assassinations — only intelligence,” he said.

“Come speak here with intelligence, and we’ll receive you and talk face-to-face with facts, not lies.”He also accused domestic political forces of misleading Washington. “Stop getting lied to by Colombian political mafias who condemned us to 700,000 deaths and made us the world’s most unequal country,” Petro added.The sharp exchange comes after Trump made comments describing Colombia’s leadership as “sick,” alleging that drug production in the country fuels cocaine trafficking into the United States.

Asked whether the US could take action against Colombia, Trump reportedly responded positively to the idea.Trump, meanwhile, criticized Petro, claiming Colombia is "very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States" and adding that the president "has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long." When asked if the US might launch an operation, Trump said, "It sounds good to me."White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, "As US President Trump outlined in his National Security Strategy, the administration is reasserting and enforcing the Monroe Doctrine to restore American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere, control migration, and stop drug trafficking."Earlier, Trump sanctioned Petro and members of his family over alleged ties to the illicit drug trade. Petro has denied any involvement, citing that he "ordered the largest seizure of cocaine in world history," and criticized a September US strike that killed a Colombian fisherman.The two leaders had a verbal spat in December over Colombia’s alleged cocaine exports to the US, further straining bilateral relations.