Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions bilaterally following American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions and Allegations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, Trump threatened similar military action towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have denounced the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
Washington revoked Petro’s visa after he urged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
