Colombian President Warns 'I Would Resort to Weapons Again' if American Forces Launches an Attack.

Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, heightening tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.

"He runs drug factories and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.

Rising Tensions coupled with Accusations

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the nation faces serious problems and governed by a sick man involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the US."

While Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way connected to the trade.

A Deteriorating Relationship

Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly since Trump came to office.

The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised following a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Strong Rebuttal

Upon being questioned whether armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."

President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.

"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted online.

"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a large part of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.

From Insurgent to Statesman

Petro spent part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.

"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he vowed.

Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Rejection

The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s protection team had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures spanning the ideological divide have denounced the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.

Bilateral and Financial Strains

American authorities revoked Petro’s visa after he urged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, the first lady and several close collaborators.

At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast near Colombia.