The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the business.
A Strained Relationship
The country for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the threats of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and several associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
