Colombia's Leader Declares 'I Would Resort to Weapons Once More' if US Invades.
President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Escalating Tensions and Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a sick man who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have worsened markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Response
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing a new constitution over three decades ago subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa following he encouraged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.