The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly following Trump came to office.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a narco," he declared.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have denounced the threats of American military action against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the region and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
