Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous military action against Colombia, stating the country is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Answer
When asked if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the nation's leader, which many of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing a new constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices spanning Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
