The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations after American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US president suggested similar use of force against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Response
When asked if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture me, whom many of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
