The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the country faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation has long been a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain me, which many of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
