The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous use of force against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Response
In response to a query whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have rejected the threats of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and several key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
