Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the trade.
A Strained Partnership
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization following he called on American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and several key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
