The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump hinted at comparable use of force against Colombia, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Strained Alliance
Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated significantly since Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Answer
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his wife and several associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
