President Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, Trump threatened similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have deteriorated significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Answer
In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization following he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
