Colombian Leader Warns 'I Would Return to Arms Once More' should American Forces Launches an Attack.

The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.

Escalating Rhetoric and Claims

Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and selling it to America."

Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the business.

A Deteriorating Partnership

The country for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured markedly after Trump came to office.

The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.

Petro's Firm Rebuttal

In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."

Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he declared.

"The US president speaks uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.

"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.

From Fighter to President

Petro spent a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.

"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.

Reinforced Protection along with Broad Rejection

The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.

A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.

Political and Financial Pressure

American authorities revoked his travel authorization after he called on US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and various key allies.

Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted operations against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.