President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous use of force against Colombia, stating the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Partnership
The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have deteriorated significantly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Response
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of American military action against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he encouraged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and several associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
