President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, increasing strains bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Tensions and Allegations
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump suggested comparable use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the business.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
Washington revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
