President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable use of force towards the South American nation, stating the nation is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
The country for decades served as a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and various associates.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
