Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar use of force towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Frayed Alliance
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms following a landmark accord.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
