President Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the tone of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the notion of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
