Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their war of words, heightening tensions between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar military action against Colombia, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Response
When asked whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
