The US President and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their exchange, heightening tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
This nation for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US troops to refuse orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and several associates.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
