The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions in their relations following American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, Trump threatened similar use of force against Colombia, claiming the country is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have rejected the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
