The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened comparable use of force against Colombia, asserting the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who likes making the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he urged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
