President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa after he encouraged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, his wife and several key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
