Colombia's President Says 'I Shall Take Up Arms Again' if American Forces Invades.

President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

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

Growing Tensions coupled with Claims

Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the United States."

While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the business.

A Deteriorating Alliance

The country for decades served as a key ally of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.

Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a landmark accord.

Petro's Defiant Answer

Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."

President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.

"The US president speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.

"Should American forces attack peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the president, which a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.

From Insurgent to Leader

Petro spent a period in his early life belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.

"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.

Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition

Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with the US president, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.

Political and Economic Pressure

The US cancelled his travel authorization after he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and various key allies.

Simultaneously the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.