Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, heightening strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Trump threatened similar military action against Bogotá, asserting the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the leading producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the trade.
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval in Washington, but relations have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised following a landmark accord.
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. In October, it placed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and several associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
Elara Vance is a seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting strategies and statistical analysis.
News