Colombian Leader Declares 'I Will Resort to Weapons Again' if US Intervenes Militarily.

President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, heightening strains in their relations following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates drug factories and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.

Rising Rhetoric coupled with Allegations

Speaking to the press on Sunday, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."

While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the business.

A Deteriorating Alliance

This nation was historically a close partner of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.

Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded following a historic peace agreement.

The President's Defiant Answer

In response to a query whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me personally."

The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.

"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.

From Fighter to President

Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the nation's constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city before being elected the presidency.

"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.

Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Opposition

Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Financial Pressure

Washington revoked the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various associates.

Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.