The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Trump threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the country faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured markedly following Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to refuse any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
