Colombian President Warns 'I Would Take Up Arms Once More' if American Forces Intervenes Militarily.

The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing tensions in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

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

Escalating Threats coupled with Allegations

Talking to reporters over the weekend, the US president suggested similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating Colombia faces serious problems and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to the United States."

Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.

A Frayed Alliance

Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have soured markedly since Trump was elected.

The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.

Colombia's Firm Rebuttal

In response to a query whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."

The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.

"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.

"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.

From Fighter to Statesman

Petro spent part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected president.

"I pledged not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he affirmed.

Reinforced Protection along with Cross-Political Rejection

The Colombian defence minister reported that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the ideological divide have condemned the threats of a US attack on Colombia.

Bilateral and Financial Strains

The US revoked the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and various associates.

Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and targeting suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.