Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats and Claims
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the US president suggested comparable military action against Colombia, asserting the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which many of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have rejected the notion of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization after he called on American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
