Colombia's Leader Says 'I Would Return to Arms Again' should US Intervenes Militarily.

The US President and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.

Growing Rhetoric and Allegations

Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating Colombia faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and trafficking it to America."

While Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the business.

A Frayed Relationship

The country for decades served as a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in Washington, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.

Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations including one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Defiant Rebuttal

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

The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.

"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the president, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.

From Fighter to President

The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.

"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he vowed.

Increased Security along with Broad Opposition

Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.

A segment of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions

Washington cancelled the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his wife and various key allies.

At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the region and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted strikes against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.