Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable use of force towards the South American nation, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
He passed part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he encouraged US troops to ignore unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
