The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous military action against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and various associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
