Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, heightening strains in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the American leader threatened analogous military action against Colombia, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Relationship
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.
"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and various key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
