The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the business.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
