Donald Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous use of force towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
