Donald Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their exchange, further raising tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested comparable use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by a sick man who likes making the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
This nation has long been a key ally of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital 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 along with Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
