President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions and Allegations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable use of force against Colombia, stating the country is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the trade.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture me, whom a large part of the country 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 as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
