President Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions in their relations after American military units struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous use of force against Bogotá, asserting Colombia faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
The country for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Answer
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
