President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous military action against Colombia, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the business.
A Strained Relationship
The country for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Defiant Answer
When asked if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization after he urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
