President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Threats and Claims
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have worsened dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Response
Upon being questioned if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
The US revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
