Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Threats and Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom many of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s political right have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and various associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
