Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the campaign against narcotics trade and received wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa following he called on American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
