Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the nation faces serious problems and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have worsened markedly since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will release the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US cancelled Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the region and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations against vessels off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
