President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia was historically a key ally of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Response
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing a new constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have denounced the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and various key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
