Colombian Leader Warns 'I Will Return to Arms Once More' if United States Invades.

President Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.

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

Growing Threats coupled with Claims

Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader threatened analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the nation is “very sick too” and governed by a sick man who likes making the drug and trafficking it to America."

While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the trade.

A Frayed Alliance

The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the struggle combating drug cartels and received cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated markedly after Trump came to office.

Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Firm Rebuttal

Upon being questioned whether a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me personally."

Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a narco," he declared.

"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.

"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the president, which many of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the powerful force of the people," the president cautioned.

From Insurgent to President

Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He served as mayor of Bogotá before winning president.

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

Reinforced Protection and Broad Condemnation

Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s security detail was strengthened.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the notion of an invasion on Colombia.

Bilateral and Financial Strains

The US revoked his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. In October, the US enacted asset freezes against the president, his wife and various close collaborators.

At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.