President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
The country was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have deteriorated dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms following a landmark accord.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
Washington cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and various associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
