Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested comparable use of force against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom many of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, but voices from across Colombian politics have rejected the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew Petro’s visa after he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
