Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened comparable use of force against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated markedly since Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
