The US President and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president suggested comparable military action against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Response
In response to a query if a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the president, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Pressure
American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and several key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
