Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew his travel authorization following he called on US troops to disobey orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
