The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions and Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, Trump suggested analogous use of force towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia is 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 business.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have worsened dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
When asked if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will release the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
