The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader threatened comparable military action against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have worsened dramatically since Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Strong Answer
In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the president, which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa after he encouraged US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
