By: Phakeme Mnguni
US President Donald Trump has threatened possible military action against Colombia following a large-scale US strike on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife over the weekend.
The Trump administration has spent the past several months carrying out a series of increasingly aggressive military strikes targeting vessels it alleges were smuggling narcotics through the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. These operations, part of what the U.S. military calls Operation Southern Spear, have resulted in more than 110 confirmed deaths, according to independent estimates.
On Saturday, U.S. forces launched a decisive military action inside Venezuela that culminated in the capture and extradition of President Maduro and his wife to the United States, where they now face federal drug-trafficking charges. The operation drew sharp international criticism for its scale and legality.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump renewed verbal attacks on Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, accusing his government of being “very sick” and implying it had facilitated cocaine production and distribution to the United States.
When asked whether the U.S. would conduct a military operation against Colombia, Trump replied that such action “sounds good to me,” signaling a dramatic escalation in rhetoric toward a key U.S. regional partner.
