Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous use of force towards the South American nation, stating the nation is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened markedly since Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised following a landmark accord.
Petro's Strong Answer
When asked whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
The president dedicated part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have rejected the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
