Colombia's President Declares 'I Shall Take Up Arms Again' should US Invades.
The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Escalating Threats coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at analogous use of force towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Frayed Alliance
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and received cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he stated.
"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture me, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Leader
The president dedicated part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the capital city prior to his election the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have denounced the notion of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on American soldiers to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.