Colombia's Leader Warns 'I Will Return to Arms Once More' should American Forces Invades.

Donald Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

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

Growing Tensions and Accusations

Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and trafficking it to America."

While Colombia stands as the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.

A Frayed Alliance

The country was historically a key ally of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly after Trump was elected.

The nation's drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded subsequent to a historic peace agreement.

Petro's Strong Answer

In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."

President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.

"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote online.

"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will become numerous insurgents across the countryside. And should they arrest me, whom many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.

From Fighter to Leader

He passed some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.

"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he said.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition

Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action against their nation.

Bilateral and Economic Pressure

American authorities revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he called on American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his wife and a number of close collaborators.

At the same time as the US increased its military presence in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.