President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous military action towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Response
In response to a query whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain the president, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in writing a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
