President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume in their verbal conflict, heightening tensions between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
This nation for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have soured significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
Washington revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
