Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the US president threatened comparable military action against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the trade.
A Strained Partnership
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
In response to a query if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"Should American forces attack civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he called on American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
