Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at similar use of force against Colombia, claiming the country faces serious problems and led by a sick man who likes making the drug and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the business.
A Strained Alliance
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. In October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.