Colombia's Leader Says 'I Will Take Up Arms Again' should United States Invades.

President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He has narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.

Growing Rhetoric and Accusations

Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing narcotics and selling it to the US."

While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the illicit industry.

A Frayed Partnership

The country was historically a close partner of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, but relations have deteriorated significantly since Trump was elected.

The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a historic peace agreement.

The President's Strong Rebuttal

In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me."

The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he declared.

"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote online.

"If US bombs target peasants, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," he admonished.

From Guerrilla to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating a new constitution in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected president.

"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he said.

Heightened Measures along with Broad Condemnation

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

Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the threats of American military action against their nation.

Diplomatic and Economic Pressure

The US revoked his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of key allies.

Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and bombing suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed operations on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.