The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Threats and Allegations
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader threatened similar use of force against Bogotá, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have worsened dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, which many of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting a new constitution in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US revoked his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and various associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
