President Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Allegations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested similar use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, 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.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and various associates.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
