President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
