Colombian Leader Warns 'I Shall Take Up Arms Once More' should United States Invades.

The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the tone of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.

"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump remarked.

Growing Rhetoric and Allegations

Talking to the press over the weekend, Trump threatened analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and distributing it to the US."

While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the business.

A Deteriorating Partnership

This nation was historically a key ally of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and received wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly since Trump was elected.

The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Defiant Response

Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."

The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.

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

"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest me, which many of the population admires and supports, they will release the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.

From Fighter to President

He passed some years as a young man as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.

"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he said.

Reinforced Protection and Broad Condemnation

The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.

Bilateral and Economic Sanctions

American authorities withdrew Petro’s visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.

Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.