President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
Washington revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
