Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested similar military action against Colombia, asserting the nation is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom many of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have denounced the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence in the region and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
