Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Strong Answer
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
The US cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and various close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
