Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened similar military action against Bogotá, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing a new constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
