President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested similar armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the notion of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
