The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization after he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and several key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
