Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, Trump threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have worsened dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
