Colombia's President Says 'I Would Return to Arms Once More' if US Invades.

Donald Trump and Colombia's president have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.

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

Rising Threats and Allegations

Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, stating the nation faces serious problems and “run by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."

Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is in any way involved in the business.

A Strained Partnership

Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically after Trump came to office.

The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.

Petro's Firm Response

In response to a query whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."

Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.

"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted online.

"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the population loves and respects, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.

From Insurgent to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the nation's highest office.

"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he vowed.

Increased Security and Cross-Political Condemnation

Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's security detail had received additional support.

A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from across the ideological divide have rejected the notion of American military action on Colombia.

Political and Economic Pressure

Washington withdrew the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Months later, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and several close collaborators.

Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.