Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Claims
Talking to the press over the weekend, Trump suggested similar military action against Bogotá, stating the country is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the trade.
A Strained Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom many of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action against their nation.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
