The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump threatened similar military action towards the South American nation, asserting the country faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Answer
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom many of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, his wife and various close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
