Colombian Leader Declares 'I Will Resort to Weapons Again' if American Forces Invades.
Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their exchange, heightening strains in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Addressing reporters on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous use of force towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia stands as the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain the president, whom a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
He passed part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing a new constitution in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I will take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief reported that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the threats of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
The US revoked his travel authorization after he called on American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.