President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable military action against Colombia, asserting the country faces serious problems and led by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions 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 following a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders from across the ideological divide have rejected the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he encouraged US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
Concurrently the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
