The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader suggested comparable use of force against Bogotá, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of the United States in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically since Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"He comments without information. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
