Colombian Leader Declares 'I Shall Take Up Arms Again' if US Invades.

The US President along with Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations after US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.

"He operates cocaine mills and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.

Growing Rhetoric and Accusations

Talking to reporters over the weekend, Trump suggested similar armed intervention towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the US."

While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the trade.

A Frayed Relationship

The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have deteriorated dramatically following Trump assumed the presidency.

The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters demobilised after a historic peace agreement.

Petro's Strong Answer

Upon being questioned whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."

President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.

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

"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, whom a large part of the country admires and supports, they will provoke the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.

From Fighter to Leader

Petro spent part of his youth as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the capital city before being elected the nation's highest office.

"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume arms again," he vowed.

Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Rejection

Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's protection team had been reinforced.

Many among Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from all sides of the ideological divide have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.

Diplomatic and Financial Strains

The US revoked the president's entry visa after he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and several key allies.

Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.