President Donald Trump warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday to “watch your a**” following a US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Trump also claimed to be producing cocaine in Colombia and shipping it to the United States.
“They’re making cocaine and they’re sending it to the United States, so they’ve got to watch their ass,” Trump said, according to HT, referring to Petro, with whom he has clashed repeatedly in recent months.
The US president’s comments came shortly after Washington carried out strikes in Venezuela on Saturday, January 3, followed by the arrest of Maduro, who was taken into custody and flown to New York.
Maduro and Venezuela’s first lady Cilia Flores are expected to face trial as early as Monday on charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons offences.
Meanwhile, Trump also announced that the United States would temporarily take control of the country.
The dramatic move marks a major escalation in tensions between the two countries and has sparked sharp reactions across Latin America, with several leaders condemning the move, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Petro condemns the attack, calling it an “attack on sovereignty”
Within hours of the US attack, Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a statement on social media strongly criticizing Washington’s actions.
He described the US operations as an “attack on the sovereignty” of Latin America, which could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
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In a statement on X Petro, he said his government called a national security meeting before dawn on Saturday and deployed security forces to the Colombia-Venezuelan border in preparation for what he warned could be a “massive influx of refugees” from neighboring Venezuela.
He also said Colombia would push for international action and called on the UN Security Council to address what he described as “aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America.”
The US Security Council will meet on Monday
In view of the situation, the United Nations Security Council decided to meet on Monday to discuss the US operation, the Somali Presidency of the Council said.
The emergency meeting, which is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. local time (1500 GMT) on January 5, was requested by Venezuela and handed over by Colombia, diplomatic sources told AFP.
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Colombia is not the only country to condemn the attack, Saturday’s operation drew criticism from various countries including Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned what it called an “act of armed aggression” and warned of the need to avoid further escalation.
North Korea also strongly condemned Maduro’s capture, calling it a “serious violation of sovereignty,” state media said, citing AFP. North Korea said in a statement that Maduro’s capture confirmed the “rogue and brutal” nature of the United States.
