Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a key ally of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and received wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, but voices from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa after he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
