Trump threatens military action across Latin America

Thursday 08 January 2026 - 09:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Trump threatens military action across Latin America

President Donald Trump issued stark warnings this week of potential military intervention in several Latin American nations, invoking his "Donroe doctrine" after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro over the weekend. These unprecedented threats targeting Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Mexico have sparked global concerns over a renewed era of US interventionism in the Western Hemisphere.

Speaking Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump cautioned Colombian President Gustavo Petro to "watch his ass" and said military operations there seemed "fine," citing cocaine production. In a sharp pivot Wednesday, however, Trump announced an invitation for Petro to the White House following a call where the Colombian leader addressed "the drug situation and other disagreements." The turnaround came after Petro rallied thousands of protesters against the US threats.

Senator Rick Scott stated Wednesday that Cuba and Nicaragua would be "fixed" post-Venezuela regime change, adding "next year we'll have a new president in Colombia." Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family fled Cuba, issued blunt warnings to Havana officials. "If I lived in Havana and was part of the government, I'd be worried," Rubio said Saturday. Trump predicted Sunday that Cuba "looks ready to fall" without Venezuelan oil, its main economic lifeline.

Trump also urged Mexico to "get its act together" on fentanyl trafficking, insisting "something will have to be done." He claimed to have offered US troops to take out cartels, a proposal rejected by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Trump's parallel bid for Greenland has strained NATO ties. The White House confirmed Tuesday it is reviewing "a range of options" including military force to seize the Danish territory. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned any US attack on Denmark would "mean the end of NATO and thus the security established since the end of World War II."

Six European nations the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain issued a joint statement Tuesday declaring "Greenland belongs to its people" and calling for respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The administration's stance embodies what Trump dubs the "Donroe doctrine" a revival of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine asserting US dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The State Department declared Monday: "This is OUR hemisphere, and President Trump will not allow our security to be threatened."