Attack Continues: Trump Threatens Colombian President After U.S. Military Operation in Venezuela
In a startling escalation of geopolitical tensions in Latin America, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday to “watch his back” following a large-scale U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The threats came during a press event at Mar-a-Lago after U.S. special forces, backed by American airstrikes, seized Maduro and his wife and flew them out of Venezuela to face charges in the United States.
Trump, defending the operation as a necessary blow against narco-terrorism, accused Petro of running cocaine production facilities and funneling drugs into the United States rhetoric that sharply intensified an already strained relationship between Washington and Bogotá.
“He’s making cocaine and they’re sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his ass,” Trump declared, repeating accusations without providing clear public evidence.
Colombia’s President Petro responded with strong rebukes through social media and official channels, condemning the U.S. military action as a violation of international law and regional sovereignty.
In posts on the platform X, Petro wrote that Colombia viewed the strike as “an assault on the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America,” and warned of mounting humanitarian and security risks along the border.
He ordered Colombian public forces deployed to the frontier in anticipation of a potential refugee crisis.
The diplomatic rift between the two nations had already been widening in recent months, with Trump accusing Petro’s government of insufficient action against drug trafficking and even revoking Petro’s U.S. visa late last year.
Washington previously decertified Colombia as a top partner in drug control efforts, straining what had been a longstanding alliance.
Petro and other Colombian officials have repeatedly denied U.S. claims, asserting that their government has taken vigorous anti-narcotics measures independently.
Trump also singled out Cuba in his remarks, describing Havana as a nation that protects Maduro’s regime and warning that it will be a focus of future U.S. policy.
He labeled Cuba a failing nation”
dependent on Venezuelan oil and criticized its leadership for supporting Maduro, hinting that further diplomatic or economic pressure could follow. The U.S. Secretary of State echoed these sentiments, condemning Cuba’s government as dysfunctional and oppressive.
Attack Continues: Trump Threatens Colombian President After U.S. Military Operation in Venezuela
Byadmin
Jan 3, 2026