The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which many of the country admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he urged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and various associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
