Venezuelans return home to assess damage from US attack
Venezuelans returned to their homes to assess the damage caused by the U.S. military attack over the weekend.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has predicted that Cuba’s communist government is on the verge of collapse after the United States detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
On January 4, President Trump threatened U.S. military intervention to oust Colombian President Gustavo Petro and reiterated his desire for the U.S. to annex Greenland, which is effectively controlled by Denmark.
Addressing reporters on Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from his vacation in Florida, President Trump suggested that Venezuela would not be the only Latin American country facing upheaval.
President Trump said, “Cuba is ready to collapse.” “Cuba seems ready to collapse. I don’t know if they’ll hold out. But Cuba has no income right now. All their income comes from Venezuela, from Venezuelan oil. They’re not receiving any of it. And Cuba is literally ready to collapse.”
“They’re going to be very happy about this because there are a lot of great Cuban-Americans,” Trump added.
The Trump administration’s recent blockade on Venezuelan oil has cut Cuba off from critical energy supplies that the island nation relies on. President Trump has said American companies will soon take over Venezuela’s oil supplies following the detention of Maduro, a close ally of the Cuban government. Several Cubans were killed in the U.S. attack on Venezuela that led to the capture of President Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a key architect of the attack on Venezuela, has long been a critic of the Cuban government, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who has condemned U.S. actions in Venezuela.
Rubio issued a warning to Cuba at a press conference on January 3, as President Trump and his top officials discussed attacking Venezuela. “If I lived in Havana and was part of the government, I would be at least a little concerned,” Rubio said.
President Trump: ‘I think it’s a good thing’ about US operation in Colombia
Regarding Colombia, led by leftist Petro, President Trump said the country is “run by sick people who like to make cocaine and sell it to the United States.”
“He won’t be doing it for very long — I’m telling you,” Trump said. Asked if the United States would conduct an operation in Colombia, Trump said, “I think that would be a good thing.”
In response to President Trump’s threats, Petro released a lengthy statement about X, saying, “Arresting a president that a large portion of the country wants and respects will unleash a popular jaguar.”
“From now on, an order is given to all Colombian soldiers: All commanders of public forces who prefer the American flag to the Colombian flag must immediately withdraw from their installations, in accordance with the orders of the base and the military and mines,” Petro said.
President Trump: “Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days”
During a 37-minute exchange with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also made it clear that he wants the United States to acquire Greenland, an idea he has promoted during his first year in the White House.
President Trump said with a smile that he was focused on Venezuela for now, then added, “In about two months, you’ll be worrying about Greenland.” “Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”
President Trump added, “I’m going to say this about Greenland.” “From a national security point of view, we need Greenland. It’s very strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships everywhere. We need Greenland from a national security point of view, and Denmark will not be able to do that. I can say for sure.”
In a statement, Danish President Mette Frederiksen called on Trump to “stop threatening our historically close ally” and said the United States “does not have the right to annex one of the three countries of the Commonwealth of Nations.”
“The Kingdom of Denmark, and by extension Greenland, is part of NATO and therefore subject to the security of the alliance,” Frederiksen said. “Today, we already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States, which gives the United States extensive access to Greenland. And we, on the part of the Kingdom, are making significant investments in Arctic security.”
X Contact Joey Garrison at @joeygarrison.
