Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated significantly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And should they arrest me, which many of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Fighter to Leader
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa after he urged US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
