Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have soured dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa following he encouraged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and various key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
