The US President and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Growing Tensions coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous military action against Colombia, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly since Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
The US cancelled the president's entry visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
