'Watch your a**': Trump warns Colombia’s President as US escalates pressure after Maduro’s capture
US President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, telling him to “watch his a**,” even as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was transferred to a prison in New York nearly a day after Washington launched Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters, Trump accused Petro of allowing cocaine production that fuels drug trafficking into the United States.
“He’s making cocaine and they’re sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his a**,” Trump said.
Petro, without directly naming Maduro, one of his closest regional allies, condemned Washington’s actions as an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America, warning they could trigger a humanitarian crisis across the region.
The Colombian leader has repeatedly criticised US military deployments in the Caribbean aimed at intercepting alleged drug-trafficking vessels.
Trump recently escalated rhetoric further, saying he would not rule out airstrikes on drug-production laboratories in Colombia, remarks Petro described as a threat of invasion.
US says it will 'run' Venezuela temporarily
Hours after Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were extracted from Caracas, Trump said the United States would temporarily take control of Venezuela.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said, adding that Washington is prepared to launch a second and much larger military operation if necessary.
Trump also declared that US dominance in the Western Hemisphere would no longer be questioned. “We want stability. We want energy. That country has tremendous energy, and it’s very important that we protect it,” he said.
Outlining future plans, Trump said major US oil companies would be sent to Venezuela to invest billions of dollars in repairing the country’s “badly broken” oil infrastructure. However, he made clear that sanctions would remain.
“The embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect. The American armada remains poised, and the United States retains all military options until our demands are fully met,” he said.
Trump expressed confidence in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, suggesting she would cooperate with US plans, while casting doubt on opposition leader María Corina Machado’s ability to lead. “She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country,” he said.
Warnings to Cuba and Mexico
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that Cuba could be the next focus of the administration. “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned,” Rubio said.
Trump also issued sharp remarks about Mexico, claiming drug cartels, not President Claudia Sheinbaum, were in control.
“She’s a good woman, but the cartels are running Mexico,” he said, adding that he had repeatedly offered US assistance to dismantle cartel networks—offers Sheinbaum has rejected.
The latest developments mark one of the most dramatic escalations in US involvement in Latin America in decades, reviving memories of past American interventions across the region.
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