Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country was historically a close partner of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Response
In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Strains
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
