Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president threatened analogous armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have deteriorated dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he encouraged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
