President Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who likes making the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the trade.
A Strained Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly since Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization following he called on American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and a number of associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted strikes on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
