President Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Allegations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured markedly since Trump came to office.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Response
In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various associates.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
