Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating the country is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Alliance
This nation has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Response
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, which many of the country loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is 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 a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
Washington cancelled his travel authorization following he urged US troops to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
