Colombian Leader Says 'I Will Take Up Arms Again' if United States Invades.

President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the tone of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.

Escalating Tensions and Accusations

Addressing journalists over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable military action towards the South American nation, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to the United States."

Although Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the illicit industry.

A Deteriorating Alliance

The country has long been a key ally of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have worsened significantly after Trump came to office.

The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Defiant Answer

When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."

The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.

"Trump speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he posted online.

"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain me, which a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.

From Fighter to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the nation's constitution 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 swore not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he vowed.

Increased Security and Cross-Political Rejection

Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s security detail had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.

Bilateral and Financial Strains

The US revoked Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse orders that violate law. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.

Simultaneously as the US increased its forces in the region and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.