The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the US president threatened similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Answer
In response to a query if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have denounced the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa after he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
