Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa after he encouraged US troops to refuse any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
