Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested analogous military action against Colombia, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically since Trump was elected.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Leader
He passed part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have condemned the threats of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization following he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and various close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
