Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing strains bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump suggested similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the nation is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
