Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened analogous military action against Colombia, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and received wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest me, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the political spectrum have rejected the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and various key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
