Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he urged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and various close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
