President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump threatened comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and led by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured significantly following Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the ideological divide have condemned the threats of American military action against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew his travel authorization following he called on American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
