President Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Talking to journalists over the weekend, Trump threatened similar military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
This nation for decades served as a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that Petro's protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
