Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation was historically a close partner of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and received wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain me, which many of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
