Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at similar military action towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have soured significantly since Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Firm Response
In response to a query whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, which many of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew his travel authorization after he called on American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
