Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated markedly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
He passed some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices from across the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
Washington revoked the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the region and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
