President Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa following he called on US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and various key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
