Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by a sick man involved in producing the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally involved in the business.
A Frayed Alliance
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Leader
The president dedicated part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in writing a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
Washington revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
