Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions in their relations following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Allegations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, which many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
