Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, Trump suggested similar use of force against Bogotá, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a key ally of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
He passed part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have denounced the notion of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
