President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the trade.
A Strained Alliance
This nation for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Response
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain me, whom many of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US withdrew Petro’s visa after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
