Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous military action against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
This nation was historically a close partner of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
