Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions between the two countries following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," the US president stated.
Rising Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Response
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled the president's entry visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
