The US President and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia was historically a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and received wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
In response to a query if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
American authorities revoked his travel authorization following he encouraged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
