President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at comparable military action against Colombia, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Answer
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have denounced the threats of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa following he urged US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and various key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
