Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their exchange, further raising strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president threatened similar military action towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Alliance
The country has long been a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in the early 90s and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
