The US President and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions and Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally involved in the business.
A Frayed Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members disbanded after a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's protection team was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have rejected the threats of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa following he urged US troops to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
