Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous military action against Colombia, asserting Colombia faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
This nation was historically a key ally of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture me, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
He passed some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the nation's constitution in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures and Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
