Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous military action towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making the drug and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have soured significantly following Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, but voices spanning the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
