The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their war of words, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Rising Threats and Claims
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable military action towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the business.
A Strained Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, but voices from across the political spectrum have denounced the threats of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
