President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions in their relations following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested comparable military action against Colombia, claiming the country is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture me, which many of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
