Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous military action against Colombia, stating Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded following a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
He passed a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa after he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
