Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at similar use of force against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Response
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
Washington revoked the president's entry visa following he urged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
