The US President and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable military action against Colombia, stating the nation faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the business.
A Frayed Relationship
Colombia was historically a close partner of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have soured markedly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 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 abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security along with Widespread Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US revoked Petro’s visa after he urged American soldiers to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
