Colombia's President Warns 'I Would Resort to Weapons Again' should US Intervenes Militarily.

President Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," the US president stated.

Escalating Threats coupled with Claims

Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to the United States."

While Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way connected to the illicit industry.

A Strained Relationship

Colombia has long been a key ally of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.

Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.

The President's Defiant Rebuttal

Upon being questioned if armed intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good to me."

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he stated.

"Trump speaks without information. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.

"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.

From Guerrilla to President

The president dedicated some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city prior to his election the nation's highest office.

"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he said.

Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation

Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's protection team was strengthened.

Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.

Political and Economic Strains

American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa following he urged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Months later, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and various key allies.

At the same time the US was building up its forces in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.