Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally following American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised following a landmark accord.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the ideological divide have condemned the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he called on US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
