Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, increasing strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at similar military action against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom many of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
