President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their exchange, increasing strains in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, Trump threatened similar use of force against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
The country for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically after Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa after he called on American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
