The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, increasing strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous military action against Bogotá, stating the country faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have worsened dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the president, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
The US withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the region and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
