President Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Threats and Accusations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which many of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
