The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US president hinted at similar use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
This nation for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the threats of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
The US revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
