Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have deteriorated markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised after a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, which many of the population loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted strikes on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
