President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, Trump suggested comparable military action towards the South American nation, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the trade.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
