The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and several key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
