Colombia’s armed forces are obligated to defend the country's national territory and sovereignty in the event of any potential U.S. invasion, foreign minister said Tuesday, amid escalation of tensions following the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened Colombia with military action similar to the one carried out in neighboring Venezuela that ended with the capture of Maduro.
"If such aggression were to occur, the military must defend the national territory and the country’s sovereignty,” Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said at a news conference, adding that, under international law, states have the right to legitimate self-defense.
Trump, in a back-and-forth with reporters, said Colombia is "run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."
The Trump administration imposed sanctions in October on Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade. Colombia is considered the epicenter of the world's cocaine trade.
Trump began his monthslong pressure campaign on Maduro by ordering dozens of lethal strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats launched from Venezuela in the Caribbean. He eventually expanded the operations to also target suspected vessels in the eastern Pacific that came from Colombia.
The U.S. in September also added Colombia, the top recipient of American assistance in the region, to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in almost 30 years. The designation led to a slashing of U.S. assistance to the country.
