Donald Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at similar use of force against Colombia, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
