U.S. President Donald Trump has issued direct threats toward Colombian President Gustavo Petro and predicted that Cuba’s government could collapse soon, comments made late Sunday during an in-flight media exchange with reporters.
Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One, criticized both countries and framed them alongside the political turmoil triggered by Washington’s recent detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“Venezuela is in bad shape. Colombia is in bad shape too — led by a man who enjoys producing cocaine and distributing it to the U.S., but that won’t last much longer,” Trump said.
When asked whether he was referring to a potential U.S. operation targeting Colombia, the president replied, “That idea works for me.”
Trump Claims Cuba Is Near Collapse Without US Involvement
Trump later shifted focus to Cuba, stating that direct U.S. military action is unnecessary because Cuba may collapse on its own due to a loss of financial support from Venezuela.
“Cuba looks close to falling. Their income depended heavily on Venezuelan oil, and that supply has stopped,” he said.
“Many Cuban Americans will be pleased with these developments.”
He also emphasized that Venezuela’s resources once helped fund Cuba, framing the current crisis as a major blow to Havana’s stability.
Legal Uncertainty Over US Actions and Leadership Claims
Maduro and Flores are expected to appear in a New York federal court on Monday to face drug-related charges, following a surprise military operation in Caracas that Trump publicly confirmed one day earlier.
During the same press engagement, Trump asserted that the United States was “leading Venezuela for now,” despite Venezuela’s Supreme Court swearing in Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim leader.
He also reiterated that the U.S. military could return to Venezuela if the government “fails to cooperate or comply.”
A 21st-Century Monroe Doctrine Rebrand
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in expanding U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere, referencing a modern revival of the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century policy asserting U.S. dominance in Latin American affairs.
He referred to his updated version as the “Don-roe Doctrine”, a phrase he has used before to define U.S. regional oversight ambitions.
Previous Threats Toward Colombia and Cuba Resurface
Trump has previously issued public warnings toward both nations. Over the weekend, he said Petro should be cautious about opposing U.S. regional interests, and referred to Cuba as a nation in decline whose future stability will likely become a topic of international debate.
GOP lawmakers have mostly backed Trump’s Venezuela-focused actions, even as a small number of Republican voices questioned the constitutional basis for intervening in a foreign state without Congress.