Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, increasing strains bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Threats coupled with Allegations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president suggested similar use of force against Colombia, stating the nation faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have worsened dramatically since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing a new constitution in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his wife and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
