Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Allegations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable use of force against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Answer
In response to a query if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
