The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Talking to reporters over the weekend, Trump hinted at comparable military action against Bogotá, stating the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the president, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed a period in his early life participating in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
