Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president suggested comparable military action against Bogotá, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the business.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
