The US President and Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened similar military action against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the business.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated significantly following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Answer
When asked if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed a period in his early life belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization following he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and a number of associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
