Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, claiming the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically following Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
