Colombian President Warns 'I Will Return to Arms Again' should American Forces Launches an Attack.

The US President and President Gustavo Petro have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations following US forces attacked Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," the US president stated.

Rising Rhetoric coupled with Claims

Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump threatened comparable military action towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and led by a sick man involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the United States."

Although Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally involved in the trade.

A Deteriorating Relationship

Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have soured dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.

Its drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Defiant Response

In response to a query whether military intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."

President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he declared.

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

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population holds in high esteem, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," the president cautioned.

From Guerrilla to President

The president dedicated some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed he did not took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting a new constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.

"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up arms again," he said.

Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation

Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s personal security had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from across the ideological divide have denounced the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Economic Pressure

The US revoked his travel authorization after he called on US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, it placed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and various close collaborators.

Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted operations against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.