The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, Trump hinted at similar military action towards the South American nation, stating the nation faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.
A Strained Alliance
This nation for decades served as a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Answer
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which many of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and various associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence near Venezuela and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
