President Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable use of force against Colombia, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom many of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security and Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted financial sanctions against the president, his wife and several associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
