Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump hinted at comparable use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US cancelled his travel authorization after he encouraged US military personnel to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
