The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating the nation faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who likes making narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have denounced the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
