President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, stating the nation is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in Washington, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without information. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked his travel authorization following he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. In October, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
