The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations after American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at similar military action against Colombia, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country has long been a key ally of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have soured significantly since Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
