President Trump and Rubio talk about Cuba after U.S. military operation in Venezuela
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio speak about Cuba at Mar-a-Lago on January 3, 2025, after U.S. military operations in Venezuela.
The White House has put the war on drugs at the center of discussions following the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In interviews and news conferences in Florida, President Donald Trump painted a map of pressures that appeared to underline Mexico, Colombia and Cuba, each for different reasons but connected by the same threads of security, drugs and sovereignty.
Political analysts say the message is neither linear nor the same for everyone. He spoke to Mexico in a personal tone. Warning to Colombia. To Cuba with allusions.
High-voltage changes that realign alliances and alert the region while governments and diaspora react in real time.
What did President Trump say about Mexico and drug trafficking?
Trump insisted in an interview with Fox News that “something has to be done” against the cartels in Mexico, before mentioning the Venezuela incident. He said he had a good relationship with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and described her as a “good woman,” but added, “She doesn’t rule Mexico,” a phrase that has strained the dialogue. He claimed that cartels control territory and that America’s overdose crisis kills hundreds of thousands of people a year (by his estimates), but he made clear that this was not a message directed at his government.
The president claimed he asked several times whether Mexico wanted the United States to “handle” the cartels and received a rebuff.
Colombia under pressure: threat or warning?
From Mar-a-Lago, President Trump directly addressed Colombian President Gustavo Petro, telling him to “be careful,” and linking the country to cocaine production and shipments. Petro responded by calling Washington’s actions an attack on regional sovereignty and warning of humanitarian risks, while ordering borders to be fortified against a possible influx of refugees following a reported bombing in Venezuela.
This intersection escalated in networks and public statements. Petro defended Colombia’s efforts against drug trafficking, rejecting any threats and highlighting decades of cooperation and seizures. In parallel, countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Chile condemned the operation in Venezuela, while Argentina and Ecuador celebrated it. The region was divided between support and condemnation.
Will Cuba join the Washington Regional Council?
President Trump has indicated that Cuba could be a topic of discussion within broader regional policy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was more specific: “If I lived in Havana and was part of the government, I would be at least a little concerned,” calling the country a “disaster” under “incompetent” leadership.
The response from Havana did not take long. President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the attack on Venezuela, describing the moment as an attack on Latin America’s “zone of peace” and calling for an urgent response from the international community.
This rhetorical clash has revived historic tensions, affecting Cuban families in the United States whose visas, remittances, and airline tickets are on hold.
What will the Trump administration’s next move be?
The US government guarantees that it will guide Venezuela “until the completion of a safe and orderly transition” without ruling out new operations. Local leaders, on the other hand, value every word and every move. For the U.S. Latino community, this change is important because it could change air travel, police cooperation, trade, and immigration policy.
contribution: Reuters
Boris Q’va is a national Spanish language trends news reporter for Connect/USA TODAY Network. You can follow him on X as @ByBorisQva or write to him at BBalsindesUrquiola@gannett.com.
