Washington, Jan. 5 -- U.S. President Donald Trump ignited controversy after making sharp and unprecedented remarks about Colombia during a brief exchange with reporters. The statements, delivered without elaboration or policy detail, raised concerns about the tone and direction of U.S. rhetoric toward one of its long-standing allies in Latin America.

During the exchange, Trump claimed that Colombia is "run by a sick man" and added that its current leadership "won't be doing it for very long." When a reporter followed up by asking whether this suggested a potential U.S. operation in Colombia, Trump responded, "Sounds good to me." Though brief, the comment immediately fueled speculation about possible intervention and prompted widespread c...