President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
