President Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Cuba, Venezuela, and neighboring Latin American nations over the weekend, declaring that Cuba is “ready to fall” following recent U.S. military action that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump framed the moment as a turning point for the region, suggesting long-standing political systems were beginning to collapse under pressure from Washington.
“You know, one of the things that is happening, and I think you see it, you see it all the time, Howard. You’ve seen it — that Cuba is ready to fall,” Trump said, addressing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in the presence of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The remarks followed Trump’s announcement that the United States carried out a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, culminating in Maduro’s capture. The president said the U.S. would effectively “run” Venezuela until a transitional government is established.
Trump argued the intervention aligns with U.S. economic and security interests, particularly global energy markets.
“We’re in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful and where the oil is allowed to freely come out, because that’s good, it gets the prices down,” Trump told reporters.
“That’s good for our country. We have a very sick neighbor. It’s not a neighbor, but it’s close to a neighbor, and that’s Venezuela. It’s very sick. Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States,” he added, appearing to reference Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
Petro strongly condemned the U.S. action, accusing Washington of committing an unprecedented act of aggression in the region.
“The U.S. is the first country in the world to bomb a South American capital in all of human history,” Petro said in a translated statement posted Sunday on X.
“What a terrible medal that is because for generations South Americans will not forget. The wound remains open for a long time; our revenge must not exist, even though our Latin ancestors always whisper to us in our minds about ‘Vendetta,’” he added.
Trump also issued a warning directed at Mexico, saying the country “has to get their act together” as narcotics continue to flow across the southern U.S. border.
“We’d love Mexico to do it,” Trump said. “They’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico.”
Mexico’s president responded swiftly. In a statement released Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum reaffirmed her country’s long-standing opposition to foreign intervention.
“Our position against any form of intervention is firm, clear, and historic,” Sheinbaum said in a statement translated from Spanish.
“In light of recent events in Venezuela, where the United States government carried out a direct intervention that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as the loss of human lives, Mexico reaffirms a principle that is not new and admits no ambiguity,” she added. “We categorically reject intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.”
