Colombia's President Declares 'I Will Resort to Weapons Again' should United States Launches an Attack.

President Trump along with Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.

"He operates cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.

Growing Tensions and Allegations

Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, stating Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to America."

Although Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the trade.

A Frayed Partnership

Colombia was historically a close partner of the US in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have worsened markedly since Trump was elected.

Its drug trade is predominantly run by guerrilla factions including one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Firm Response

In response to a query if a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."

Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.

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

"If US bombs target civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And if they detain me, whom many of the population admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

Petro spent a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.

"I pledged to never again hold a weapon again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he said.

Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition

Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s security detail had received additional support.

Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices spanning Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion against their nation.

Political and Financial Strains

The US withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he encouraged US military personnel to refuse orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and several associates.

Concurrently while America bolstered its military presence in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.