Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, which many of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
