Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have worsened dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security along with Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he urged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
