Trump threatens to replicate the Venezuela scenario in Cuba and Colombia
Cuban authorities confirmed that 32 of their citizens were killed during the U.S. attack, including members of the army and intelligence services tasked with protecting Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that it was unlikely the United States would need to launch a military intervention in Cuba, saying the country appeared ready to collapse on its own — while at the same time threatening to strike Colombia.
His remarks came after U.S. special forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas and transferred them to New York to stand trial on terrorism and drug-trafficking charges.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham hinted at a U.S. military operation in Cuba, saying in comments to the press on Sunday that “Cuba is a communist dictatorship that killed priests and nuns.” He added, “All you have to do is wait — Cuba’s days are numbered.”
Graham, who was accompanying Trump on domestic travels, stressed that Cuba “is sacrificing its people,” adding: “A day will come when we wake up to find that instead of terrorists and dictators killing Americans in our backyard, we will have allies working with the United States.” He expressed hope that this would happen by 2026.
Cuban President Díaz-Canel joined a demonstration opposing the U.S. military operation against Venezuela, saying it was “an unacceptable attack on international law.”
On Sunday, the Cuban government said that 32 of its citizens had been killed in the U.S. attack. It declared two days of mourning, January 5 and 6, and said funeral arrangements would be announced.
The statement provided few details but said all those killed belonged to Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence services.
It added: “Faithful to their responsibilities in security and defense, our citizens fulfilled their duty with dignity and courage, falling after fierce resistance in direct combat with the attackers or as a result of the bombing of facilities.”
Cuba had provided security support to Maduro since he took office. It remains unclear how many Cubans guarding the Venezuelan president were killed and how many died elsewhere.
In addition to Cuba, Trump issued threats toward Colombia, saying military action should be taken against the Colombian government and adding that such an operation “sounds good to me.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said: “Colombia is very sick too, and it is run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States — and that will not last long,” clearly referring to Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Asked directly whether the United States would carry out a military operation against the country, he replied: “It looks good to me.”
A senior Venezuelan official said Sunday that the government would remain united behind the president despite the U.S. arrest, which has cast uncertainty over the future of the oil-rich South American nation.
In Caracas, top Maduro officials — who described the arrest of the president and his wife as a kidnapping — continued to run state affairs.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in an audio recording released by the ruling Socialist Party that “the unity of the revolutionary force is fully guaranteed, and there is only one president — Nicolás Maduro Moros. No one should fall victim to the enemy’s provocations,” calling for calm.
An image of the 63-year-old president, blindfolded and handcuffed as he was taken to the United States, shocked Venezuelans. The operation, carried out by Washington, is among the most controversial U.S. interventions in Latin America since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago.
Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino said on state television that the U.S.
attack had killed soldiers and civilians as well as “a large group” of Maduro’s guards “in cold blood,” without elaborating. He added that the armed forces were on alert to safeguard sovereignty.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who also serves as oil minister, assumed the interim presidency with Supreme Court approval while insisting that Maduro remains president.
Thanks to her ties to the private sector and deep knowledge of the oil industry — the country’s main source of revenue — Rodríguez has long been viewed as the most pragmatic member of Maduro’s inner circle. She rejected Trump’s claims that she was willing to cooperate with Washington.
Trump told The Atlantic that Rodríguez could “pay a higher price than Maduro” if she “does not do the right thing.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela’s next president must take U.S. interests into account, including preventing Washington’s rivals from gaining access to the Venezuelan oil sector and stopping drug trafficking. He cited the continuing U.S. blockade on sanctioned oil tankers as leverage.
He told ABC: “We are imposing a blockade on Venezuela’s oil sector… that means their economy will not recover until conditions that serve the interests of the United States and the Venezuelan people are met.”
The Venezuelan government has long argued that Trump’s pressure campaign is simply an attempt to seize the country’s vast natural resources — especially oil. Officials paid close attention to Trump’s remark on Saturday that major U.S. oil companies would move into the country.
The interior minister, who has close ties to the military, said: “We are outraged because everything has finally been exposed. It is clear they only want our oil.”
Once one of Latin America’s most prosperous nations, Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under Maduro, prompting about one-fifth of its citizens to emigrate in one of the world’s largest migration waves.
In New York, protesters rallied against Maduro’s detention, gathering outside the Brooklyn detention center, denouncing the U.S. assault on Venezuelan territory and accusing Washington of “kidnapping” the president and his wife. They rejected what they called the “restriction of Maduro’s freedom.”
Throughout the hours-long protest, demonstrators chanted slogans calling on the United States to “take its hands off Venezuela” and “free the president,” holding signs reading “U.S., get out of the Caribbean,” “No blood for oil,” and “Stop bombing Venezuela now.”
They accused the Trump administration of seeking not to bring freedom to Venezuela, but to control its wealth and natural resources.
The legality of the U.S. arrest will come under scrutiny at the United Nations on Monday, but Washington is unlikely to face strong criticism from allies over its military operation.
The 15-member UN Security Council convened after U.S. special forces captured Maduro — an operation that caused power outages in parts of Caracas and strikes on military facilities. Venezuelan authorities also reported casualties. Maduro is now being held in New York awaiting court proceedings on drug-related charges.
Russia, China and other Venezuelan allies accused the United States of violating international law, while many U.S. allies — though opposed to Maduro — expressed fewer concerns about the use of force.
Richard Gowan, director of the International Crisis Group’s UN office, said that based on European leaders’ reactions so far, U.S. allies would likely “maneuver carefully” in the Security Council.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Saturday that he viewed the U.S. operation as “a dangerous precedent.” Several legal experts say the action is illegal, although Washington will likely be able to block any attempt at censure.
Following the operation, most European nations called for respect for international law without explicitly criticizing Washington, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the United States had violated “the principle of non-use of force on which international law is built.”
The UN Charter stipulates that member states must “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” The United Nations currently has 193 member states.
