President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested similar use of force against Colombia, asserting the nation faces serious problems and led by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the business.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and received wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Answer
In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed a period in his early life belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting a new constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and several associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
