Colombian President Gustave Petro hit out with strong words against the U.S at a military ceremony in Bogota on Thursday.

"They are insulting us, and not only insulting us, but humiliating us, and not only humiliating us, but killing our people, whether they are wrong or not, they are our citizens," said Petro.

Those comments come after the deaths of more than 80 people in strikes in the region which the U.S claims is to stop the flow of drugs out of South America.

The family of one Colombian man killed on September 15 has been the first to file a legal complaint against the killings.

Petro's sentiment that "here we defend our sovereignty with our lives, and we want to make it clear that Colombia will not be threatened" echoed the tone of his neighbour, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro a few weeks prior, who said that his country was upping it's civilian militia to defend itself from attack.

However Maduro's tone has since softened, with the Venezuelan leader on Wednesday saying the two leaders had a phone call which he described as "respectful" and "cordial."