The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured markedly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
