Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and led by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and several associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
