The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats and Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom many of the population loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the region and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
