Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested similar armed intervention against Bogotá, stating the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who likes making the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised after a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Answer
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
