Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have rejected the notion of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
