President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units struck Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous military action towards the South American nation, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Relationship
The country was historically a key ally of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, which a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of American military action against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he urged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
