Colombia's President Warns 'I Would Resort to Weapons Again' should US Launches an Attack.

Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the rhetoric of their war of words, increasing strains in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from his position.

"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.

Rising Rhetoric and Claims

Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to America."

Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally involved in the trade.

A Strained Alliance

Colombia was historically a close partner of the US in the campaign against narcotics trade and received wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.

The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.

The President's Strong Answer

When asked if military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."

The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.

"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.

"Should American forces attack civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. And should they arrest the nation's leader, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.

From Insurgent to Statesman

He passed some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the presidency.

"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up the fight," he vowed.

Reinforced Protection and Widespread Opposition

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

A segment of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.

Diplomatic and Financial Strains

The US withdrew the president's entry visa after he urged American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. Later, in October, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his spouse and several associates.

At the same time the US was building up its forces near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on boats in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.