President Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which many of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he encouraged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
