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Colombia to Cuba: List of countries Trump threatened after action against Maduro in Venezuela
The US armed forces, acting on President Donald Trump's orders, captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, flying them back to the US.
President Donald Trump is showing no signs of stopping after the unprecedented action of capturing the Venezuelan president on January 3. On Trump's orders the US armed forces captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, flying them back to the US.
In the wake of his actions, Trump invoked the Monroe Doctrine, which has guided the country for more than 200 years. The doctrine began as a largely symbolic statement expressing American opposition to new or expanding European involvement in the Americas, and became central to US foreign policy over time. Trump's liking for the Monroe Doctrine has led it to be called the 'Don-roe' Doctrine by many close to the president.
Also Read | After Maduro, who's next? Trump's comments spur anxieties about his plans for Greenland and Cuba
Now, answering questions on board Air Force One, Trump issued a series of threats to various nations, days after he had sought peace in the new year. Here's a list of countries Trump has threatened.
List of countries threatened by Donald Trump
Colombia - The neighboring south American country was one of the first nations to receive a stern warning from Trump. Speaking of their president Gustavo Petro, Trump said he is a ‘sick man’ who likes ‘‘making cocaine and selling it to the United States’. The president also warned that Petro wouldn't be doing so for much longer, sparking buzz about another US military action. Responding to reporters, Trump said “Sounds good to me.”
Cuba - Cuba and the US have had a tense relationship for a long time, which had only seen somewhat of a thaw recently. However, Trump called it a ‘failing nation’ and added “I think Cuba is going to be something we'll end up talking about.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down, saying that if he were in Havana and part of the Cuban government, he'd be ‘concerned’.
Mexico - Trump, who'd previously offered to send troops to Mexico to fight the drug cartels, said that he would love for Mexico to handle the situation, but otherwise, the US was going to have to do something about it. Notably, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has been clear about not wanting US troops on Mexican soil.
Greenland - Trump reiterated that the US needed Greenland for ‘national security’ pointing to Chinese and Russian submarines around the island. However, Greenland is part of Denmark, which is a NATO ally and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a strong statement, asking Trump to stop ‘threatening’ the autonomous territory.
Iran - Trump issued a warning to Iran amid protests growing violent in the country. He said “if (Iran) starts killing people like they have in the past, I think they're gonna get hit very hard by the United States.”
