The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their exchange, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable use of force against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his wife and various close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
