President Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, Trump threatened similar military action against Colombia, asserting the nation faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who likes making the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have worsened dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Answer
In response to a query whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture me, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
The US revoked his travel authorization after he called on US troops to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and various key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
