The US President and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats and Claims
Addressing the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating the nation faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
