Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their exchange, heightening strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous use of force against Bogotá, stating the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a close partner of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
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 declared.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom many of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
He passed a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
