Colombian President Says 'I Will Take Up Arms Once More' should United States Intervenes Militarily.

Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their exchange, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.

Rising Threats coupled with Claims

Speaking to reporters over the weekend, the American leader hinted at analogous military action against Colombia, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to the United States."

Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.

A Strained Relationship

The country has long been a key ally of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.

Colombia’s illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.

Colombia's Firm Rebuttal

In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."

President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.

"Trump speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted in a post.

"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And should they arrest the president, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.

"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition

The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions

The US withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged US troops to refuse any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and various key allies.

Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.