President Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their exchange, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable military action against Bogotá, stating the country faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who likes making the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Answer
When asked whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have rejected the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
