American President Donald Trump has made particularly virulent remarks against Colombia, going so far as to raise the possibility of American military intervention. Statements which are part of a regional context already marked by strong diplomatic tensions.
Speaking to reporters aboard the presidential plane Air Force One on Sunday, Donald Trump called Colombia a “very sick” country, saying it was led by “a sick man.” Without explicitly naming him, the American president seemed to target his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro, whom he accused of turning a blind eye to the production and export of cocaine to the United States.
According to Trump, this situation could not last, suggesting that Washington could toughen its response to what it considers a direct threat to American security.
A military option openly mentioned
Asked about the possibility of a military operation against Colombia, Donald Trump did not rule out this hypothesis. “That sounds good to me,” he replied, without providing further details on the nature or timing of such an intervention.
These statements come the day after a resounding announcement from the White House concerning an operation carried out in Caracas, during which the United States claims to have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The latter is accused by the Trump administration of being involved in a vast drug trafficking network and would have been transferred to New York to be presented to American justice.
Cuba deemed out of reach of intervention
At the same time, Donald Trump estimated that an American military intervention in Cuba would probably not be necessary. According to him, the island is already engaged in a process of internal collapse, making any military action superfluous.
These declarations, mixing explicit threats and abrupt judgments, risk fueling diplomatic tensions in Latin America, where several capitals are observing with concern the verbal escalation of the American president.
