Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Trump suggested similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly since Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the region and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
