Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have deteriorated markedly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the notion of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
