President Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries after US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Tensions coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar use of force against Colombia, claiming the country faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a key ally of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he urged US troops to ignore unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and various close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
