Colombian President Says 'I Will Take Up Arms Again' should US Intervenes Militarily.
The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing strains between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.
Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested comparable use of force against Bogotá, stating the nation faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Relationship
This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and received wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
When asked whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And if they detain me, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
He passed a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the threats of American military action against their nation.
Political and Economic Pressure
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
