President Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man involved in producing the drug and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth as a member 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 the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US revoked Petro’s visa after he urged US troops to ignore unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the region and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
