Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Alliance
This nation has long been a close partner of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and received wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Strong Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which many of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, but voices spanning the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa following he urged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and various key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
