President Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have worsened significantly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
