Colombia's Leader Says 'I Would Return to Arms Again' should United States Launches an Attack.

The US President along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their war of words, increasing strains bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.

Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Allegations

Addressing journalists over the weekend, Trump threatened comparable armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and distributing it to America."

Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the business.

A Strained Alliance

The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have soured significantly since Trump came to office.

Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Defiant Rebuttal

In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."

The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.

"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a message.

"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest me, which a large part of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.

From Insurgent to Leader

The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.

"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up the fight," he vowed.

Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection

The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's security detail had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.

Bilateral and Financial Strains

American authorities revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he called on US troops to refuse unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.

At the same time the US was building up its military presence near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.