President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation has long been a close partner of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
