Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions between the two countries following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled his travel authorization after he called on US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his wife and various key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the region and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
