Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions coupled with Claims
Talking to journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at analogous military action towards the South American nation, stating the nation is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Answer
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
