President Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, stating the nation faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Response
In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, which many of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
