President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats and Allegations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the business.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
