Colombia's President Warns 'I Would Resort to Weapons Again' should United States Invades.

President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.

Rising Threats coupled with Claims

Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and selling it to America."

Although Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the business.

A Strained Partnership

This nation has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.

Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded following a historic peace agreement.

Colombia's Strong Rebuttal

Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that to me."

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.

"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a message.

"If US bombs target rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.

From Fighter to President

Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating a new constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.

"I swore not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he vowed.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition

Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.

Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, but voices spanning the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of American military action targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions

American authorities revoked Petro’s visa following he encouraged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and a number of associates.

Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.