Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president hinted at similar military action against Colombia, claiming the country faces serious problems and led by a sick man involved in producing the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
