U.S. President Donald Trump threatened his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro today, Monday, calling him a “sick man,” in a notable escalation that has affected several countries in Latin America.
Trump stated that “Colombia is run by a sick man, and he won’t last long in that position,” adding, “The Colombia operation looks good to me,” in reference to the military operation carried out by the U.S. army in Caracas against the Venezuelan president currently detained in New York.
Earlier, Trump stated that the United States is the dominant force in Venezuela after the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, noting heavy losses during the operation, saying, “A lot of Cubans were killed yesterday, and there are a lot of deaths on the other side, unfortunately.”
As part of his regional threats, Trump criticized Mexico, considering that “it must get its act together,” adding, “We have to do something about Mexico,” before escalating his tone towards Cuba, saying that “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall.”
He also reiterated his warnings to Iran, stressing that it will face “great force” if more protesters are killed, in reference to the ongoing protests there.
Trump also touched on the Greenland file, saying that it has “to worry from now until two months from now,” thus continuing his escalatory rhetoric regarding the island.
Regarding the Venezuelan issue, the Supreme Constitutional Court announced the assignment of Delcy Rodriguez, the vice president, to temporarily assume presidential duties.
In parallel, U.S. officials, including Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, hinted at the possibility of cooperation with the remaining officials of the Maduro administration, provided they take what they described as the “right” steps, primarily allowing U.S. companies to benefit from the country’s huge oil reserves.
Rubio also threatened with the military option of a ground invasion of Venezuela, stressing the continued extensive U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean region, in addition to what he described as the oil embargo imposed on the country. In an interview with CBS, Rubio stated that the Trump administration “will not rule out the option of ground forces in Venezuela, but it will continue the oil embargo until we see changes that serve the interests of America and the Venezuelan people.”
