Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia has long been a close partner of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities revoked his travel authorization following he called on US troops to refuse any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
