President Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs narcotics facilities and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened comparable use of force against Bogotá, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
The country was historically a close partner of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain me, which many of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew Petro’s visa after he urged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
