Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous military action against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the business.
A Strained Partnership
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Response
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization after he called on American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
