President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Trump threatened similar armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
He passed some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew Petro’s visa after he encouraged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and several associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
