The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Growing Tensions coupled with Allegations
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, asserting the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to America."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Answer
In response to a query whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
The president dedicated some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the threats of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled his travel authorization following he called on US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his spouse and several key allies.
Simultaneously as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
