Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Allegations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated significantly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have rejected the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his spouse and a number of key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
