President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous use of force against Colombia, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Economic Pressure
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he called on American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
