President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
Washington revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
