Trump issues warning to Colombia’s Petro, says Cuba appears “on the brink of collapse”

US President Donald Trump has issued sharp threats against Colombian President Gustavo Petro following Washington’s seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, saying he believes Cuba’s government may also collapse soon.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump signalled that the United States is willing to consider further military action in Latin America, despite mounting international criticism over Maduro’s capture.

Trump described both Colombia and Venezuela as “very sick” countries and accused the government in Bogotá of being led by “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.” Referring to Petro, he added, “He’s not going to be doing it very long.”

When asked whether this implied a possible US operation in Colombia, Trump replied, “Sounds good to me.”

Petro responded swiftly, urging Latin American nations to unite or risk being treated “as servants and slaves.” In a lengthy post on X, he recalled that the United States was the first country to bomb a South American capital, saying the historical wound remained open but warning that revenge was not the solution.

Instead, Petro called for regional unity, arguing that Latin America must strengthen its ability to trade, cooperate globally, and engage with the world “in all directions, not only to the north.”

Warnings extend to Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico

Trump’s remarks followed Saturday’s operation in Caracas, in which US forces detained Maduro in what Washington described as a law-enforcement action related to 2020 narco-terrorism charges. Critics, however, argue the move was aimed at securing control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

The raid has been described as the most controversial US intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

Despite Venezuela’s Supreme Court appointing Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim leader, Trump insisted the US was “in charge” of the country and warned that American troops could be sent back if Venezuela “doesn’t behave.”

He also said many Cubans were killed during the operation and suggested that US military action against Cuba would be unnecessary because the island nation appeared close to collapse.

“Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall,” Trump said, claiming the country had lost its primary source of income after Venezuelan oil supplies were cut. “Cuba literally is ready to fall,” he added, predicting satisfaction among Cuban Americans.

Trump went on to issue a warning to Mexico, saying it “has to get its act together” as drugs continue to flow across the border. While describing Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum as “a terrific person,” he said he has repeatedly offered to deploy US troops to assist Mexico.

Although Mexico is capable of addressing the problem, Trump argued that powerful cartels dominate the country. “The cartels are running Mexico whether you like it or not,” he said.

‘Don-roe Doctrine’

The comments were not Trump’s first threats toward Colombia and Cuba. Following the weekend’s events, he said Petro needed to “watch his a**” and described Cuba as a “failing nation.”

Al Jazeera correspondent John Holman, reporting from the Colombia–Venezuela border, said the remarks reflect a broader pattern of Trump targeting left-leaning governments in Latin America and asserting US dominance in the region.

Trump has openly expressed his desire to expand US influence in the Western Hemisphere, reviving the Monroe Doctrine. He has dubbed his modern version the “Don-roe Doctrine.”

In response, the governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain released a joint statement expressing “profound concern” and firmly rejecting what they described as unilateral US military actions in Venezuelan territory.

They warned that such actions violate international law, set a dangerous precedent for regional peace and security, and put civilians at risk.

Push for ‘regime change’

Analysts say it remains unclear whether Trump intends to act on his threats toward Colombia and Cuba or is using pressure tactics to force cooperation.

David Smith of the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre said Trump often relies on dramatic shows of force to intimidate other countries into compliance. “Maduro appears to have called his bluff — and it wasn’t a bluff,” he said, adding that uncertainty now surrounds Trump’s threats toward other nations.

Smith said Trump is also pursuing regime change through diplomatic and political means, pointing to disputes with Petro over deportations, sanctions against a Brazilian judge involved in prosecuting Jair Bolsonaro, support for Argentina’s right-wing government, and the pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Another analyst, Matthew Wilson of Southern Methodist University, said immediate military action is unlikely but warned Cuba could be most at risk due to long-standing US hostility and pressure from Cuban American communities.

“Cuba and Colombia are very different cases,” Wilson said. “If I were part of the Cuban regime, I would be far more concerned.”