President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats and Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable use of force towards the South American nation, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics 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, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated markedly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew Petro’s visa after he urged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
