President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened analogous use of force towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the business.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have deteriorated markedly since Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled his travel authorization after he encouraged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and various close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
