The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing strains between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested analogous military action against Colombia, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation has long been a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Answer
In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, which many of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew his travel authorization following he encouraged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
