The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Claims
Talking to the press over the weekend, Trump hinted at similar armed intervention against Colombia, stating the country is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a key ally of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump came to office.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
He passed a period in his early life belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
