President Trump and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested analogous use of force towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and received cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised following a landmark accord.
The President's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom many of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he encouraged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.
At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
