President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable use of force towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and several key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
