President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, Trump threatened analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the trade.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened dramatically since Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Pressure
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
