President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, heightening strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Threats and Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and distributing it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Strained Relationship
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the president, which many of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
