President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable use of force against Bogotá, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically since Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
