The US President and Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Trump suggested similar military action against Colombia, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. 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 populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in writing a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
Washington cancelled his travel authorization following he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, it placed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and several close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
