Donald Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the volume in their verbal conflict, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have rejected the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
