President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump suggested similar use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Strained Relationship
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a narco," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he urged US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
