President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable use of force against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom many of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
