The US President along with Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Trump suggested similar armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who likes making cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Answer
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture me, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I made a vow not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
