Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric and Allegations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and selling it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom many of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
