President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing strains in their relations after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia faces serious problems and led by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and received wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he participated in creating the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa following he called on US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. In October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
