President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader suggested comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of the United States in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned if military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom many of the population admires and supports, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the nation's constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I swore to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization after he called on US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
