The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar military action against Colombia, claiming the nation faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to America."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the business.
A Frayed Relationship
Colombia has long been a key ally of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened markedly following Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded following a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Response
Upon being questioned if a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating a new constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled Petro’s visa after he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
