Colombia's Leader Says 'I Will Take Up Arms Once More' should US Intervenes Militarily.

The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening strains bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.

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

Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations

Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and distributing it to America."

While Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.

A Deteriorating Alliance

Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump was elected.

The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a historic peace agreement.

The President's Defiant Answer

In response to a query if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.

"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest me, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," the president cautioned.

From Insurgent to President

Petro spent some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning the nation's highest office.

"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for Colombia I would take up arms again," he affirmed.

Reinforced Protection and Cross-Political Opposition

Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s protection team had received additional support.

Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the ideological divide have rejected the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions

Washington withdrew the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and various close collaborators.

Simultaneously while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.