Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who likes making the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
Washington cancelled his travel authorization following he urged US troops to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
