President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations following US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous use of force against Colombia, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Response
In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he encouraged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
