Colombian Leader Warns 'I Would Take Up Arms Again' should United States Intervenes Militarily.

President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally after American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.

Escalating Threats coupled with Claims

Talking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, stating the country is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and distributing it to America."

Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.

A Strained Partnership

Colombia for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.

Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.

The President's Defiant Answer

Upon being questioned if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."

Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.

"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted online.

"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture me, whom a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.

From Guerrilla to Leader

He passed part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he took part in writing a new constitution over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.

"I made a vow to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Rejection

Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s security detail had received additional support.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.

Political and Economic Strains

The US revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and several associates.

At the same time as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.