The war of words between President Trump and Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, is escalating after the South American leader launched a blistering attack and declared that removing Mr. Trump from office is the only path to restoring humanity.

In an extensive interview with a Colombian journalist who once helmed Univision’s news division, Daniel Coronell, Mr. Petro made the comments when asked about what he thought would be the best way to advocate for his country amid Mr. Trump’s crackdown on drug trafficking.

“Humanity has a first offramp — it is to choose to change Trump in various ways,” he said. “The easiest way may be through Trump himself.”

“If not — get rid of Trump,” he added before dramatically snapping his fingers.

The Colombian president was responding to Mr. Trump’s comments over the weekend that the South American country is out of control and that Mr. Petro is an “illegal drug leader.”

“Trump said: ‘Colombia is out of control.’ Of course, it is out of his control. In a democracy, a government is under the control of the people, not Trump. He is not a king in Colombia; we do not accept kings here, period,” Mr. Petro said.

“Here, the heads of kings are cut off if they come with a king’s attitude,” he added. “So, we don’t have the death penalty, but I’m saying that figuratively.”

His comments were the latest salvo in a simmering feud with Mr. Trump after the American administration last month destroyed a boat allegedly carrying drugs off the coast of Colombia. Several such boats have been destroyed in the waters off northern South America in recent weeks.

Mr. Trump said on Truth Social at the time that the strike was carried out against “confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela [who] were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics.”

Mr. Petro claimed that the vessel was a Colombian fishing boat that was in distress and demanded an explanation from the Trump administration.

“US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters,” Mr. Petro wrote on X.

On Sunday, Mr. Trump took to Truth Social again to rage against Mr. Petro and say he was cutting off all American foreign aid to the country as well as increasing import taxes on its exports to the United States. Colombia recalled its ambassador to Washington on Monday in response to the threats.

“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” Mr. Trump said. “Petro, a low rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”