Colombian Leader Warns 'I Shall Return to Arms Again' should US Invades.

The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.

Rising Tensions and Allegations

Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous military action against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to America."

While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally involved in the business.

A Deteriorating Partnership

The country has long been a staunch collaborator of the US in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly following Trump came to office.

Its drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded following a historic peace agreement.

Petro's Strong Response

When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me."

The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I a narco," he declared.

"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he posted in a post.

"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

The president dedicated part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing a new constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city before winning president.

"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he affirmed.

Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection

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

A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have sided with Trump's stance, but voices from across the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action on Colombia.

Diplomatic and Financial Strains

American authorities withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed financial sanctions on Petro, his wife and various key allies.

At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.