Colombia's President Declares 'I Shall Resort to Weapons Once More' if United States Invades.

Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He runs narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.

Escalating Threats and Accusations

Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, claiming the country faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the US."

Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly involved in the illicit industry.

A Strained Alliance

Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the struggle against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly following Trump was elected.

The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a landmark accord.

Petro's Defiant Answer

In response to a query if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."

President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle decades ago, firmly denied these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.

"Trump speaks uninformed. Cease defaming me," he expressed online.

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.

From Insurgent to Statesman

Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.

"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he vowed.

Increased Security and Cross-Political Condemnation

The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's security detail was strengthened.

Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the notion of American military action on Colombia.

Bilateral and Economic Strains

The US withdrew the president's entry visa following he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.

Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.