Colombia's President Warns 'I Would Resort to Weapons Again' should US Intervenes Militarily.

The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump remarked.

Escalating Threats coupled with Claims

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."

Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the trade.

A Strained Partnership

This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval in Washington, but relations have soured dramatically following Trump was elected.

Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Defiant Rebuttal

Upon being questioned if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."

Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he affirmed.

"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.

"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the presidency.

"I made a vow to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.

Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition

Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Pressure

American authorities withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US military personnel to disobey orders that violate law. In October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.

Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.