The US President and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have soured dramatically since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Response
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, which many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Widespread Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he called on US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
