The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at analogous military action against Bogotá, stating the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and selling it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and received wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he called on US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
