Colombian Leader Declares 'I Shall Resort to Weapons Again' if US Invades.

Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates drug factories and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.

Rising Threats coupled with Allegations

Talking to the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and selling it to America."

While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the business.

A Frayed Partnership

The country has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have worsened significantly following Trump came to office.

The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups including the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a landmark accord.

Petro's Defiant Answer

In response to a query whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me."

The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he stated.

"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.

"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture me, whom many of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing a new constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.

"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I shall resume the fight," he vowed.

Increased Security along with Broad Condemnation

The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.

A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.

Political and Financial Sanctions

Washington revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US troops to disobey orders that violate law. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.

At the same time the US was building up its forces in the region and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.