Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening strains between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Frayed Relationship
The country for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured significantly since Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the notion of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
