Colombian President Warns 'I Shall Return to Arms Again' should American Forces Launches an Attack.

President Trump and Colombia's president have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.

Escalating Threats coupled with Accusations

Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested similar armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who likes making the drug and distributing it to the US."

While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way involved in the business.

A Frayed Relationship

The country has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign combating drug cartels and received wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.

Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a landmark accord.

Colombia's Defiant Answer

In response to a query if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me personally."

Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.

"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.

"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom many of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," Petro warned.

From Insurgent to President

The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election president.

"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he said.

Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation

Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s personal security was strengthened.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of American military action against their nation.

Political and Financial Strains

Washington revoked the president's entry visa after he urged US troops to ignore orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.

Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.