President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Addressing the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the trade.
A Strained Alliance
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
