President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated significantly since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
