Donald Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, Trump suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Leader
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
