Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations following American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in Washington, but relations have deteriorated markedly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Response
In response to a query if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization after he encouraged US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his wife and various key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
