Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable use of force against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have rejected the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
