Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar use of force towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the business.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have worsened dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Answer
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the president, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from across Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
