The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, heightening strains in their relations after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions and Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous armed intervention against Colombia, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain me, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have rejected the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization following he urged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and several key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
