The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation was historically a close partner of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Answer
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
The US withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
