Colombian President Declares 'I Will Resort to Weapons Again' should US Launches an Attack.

Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising strains in their relations after US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.

"He runs drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.

Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations

Speaking to the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the US."

While Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the business.

A Strained Relationship

The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated markedly following Trump was elected.

The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Strong Rebuttal

In response to a query whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."

Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he stated.

"The US president speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he posted in a message.

"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.

From Guerrilla to President

The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.

"I pledged to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he said.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition

The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's security detail was strengthened.

A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of an invasion on Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions

American authorities revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.

Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.