Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing a new constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices spanning the political spectrum have rejected the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US withdrew Petro’s visa following he encouraged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and a number of key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
