Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Allegations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
The country for decades served as a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have worsened markedly following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
