President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing strains in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions and Accusations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous use of force against Colombia, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the business.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Response
Upon being questioned whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US troops to disobey orders that violate law. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.