Trump warns Colombia is next, says Cuba ‘ready to fall’
Trump warned Colombia could be next after the Venezuela raid, hinted military action “sounds good”, and said Cuba “looks ready to fall”, reports said
Trump signals he will press on, says Colombia is next target
Trump has sent fresh shockwaves across Latin America, using harsh language against Colombian President Gustavo Petro and signalling that Cuba is nearing a turning point, following the US operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
• Threat towards Colombia: Trump sharply criticised Petro’s policies, particularly on narcotics enforcement and cocaine exports. He argued Colombia’s current government has failed to control the problem and warned that “decisive” pressure could follow if the situation does not improve.
• Situation in Cuba: Trump said Cuba’s government is facing a crisis of confidence and severe economic problems, adding that “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall,” signalling the US could intensify pressure in pursuit of political change on the island.
• Rising regional tensions: The remarks underlined Trump’s hardline foreign policy towards left-wing governments in South America, raising the risk that US–Latin America relations could return to peak levels of strain.
• Blunt attack on Colombia: Trump called Colombia a “sick” country and described Petro as a “sick man”, accusing him of being entangled with cocaine production and exports to the United States, and adding that “he’s not going to be doing it very long.”
• Hinting at military action?: Asked by reporters about the possibility of using military force against Colombia, Trump replied: “That sounds good.”
• Cuba ‘at a dead end’: Trump suggested Cuba is approaching collapse because it has lost revenue and oil support from Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, leaving Havana without a key economic lifeline.
• ‘The US runs Venezuela’: Although Venezuela’s high court appointed Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, Trump said the United States is now effectively in charge of Venezuela.
Trump’s latest comments are being interpreted as an attempt to reshape the US “backyard”, using narcotics and ideology as core tools of policy. The fact that the US captured another country’s leader and then immediately threatened Colombia’s president marks one of the most aggressive shifts in US foreign policy rhetoric in decades, raising fears of conflict or a major realignment of power in South America.
