Colombia's President Says 'I Will Resort to Weapons Once More' if US Invades.

Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the tone of their exchange, increasing strains between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," the US president stated.

Growing Threats coupled with Claims

Addressing journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention against Colombia, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and distributing it to the United States."

Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally connected to the illicit industry.

A Frayed Alliance

Colombia was historically a key ally of the United States in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have soured markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.

Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Defiant Answer

In response to a query whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."

Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he stated.

"He comments without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote online.

"Should American forces attack civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of Colombians loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.

From Guerrilla to President

Petro spent some years as a young man belonging in the left-wing M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he took part in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.

"I pledged to abstain from using a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he vowed.

Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Condemnation

The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.

Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of a US attack against their nation.

Political and Economic Pressure

The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions against the president, the first lady and various close collaborators.

Simultaneously as the US increased its forces near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.