‘We’re in charge’: Trump says of Venezuela, while warning other nations around the western hemisphere

Venezuela, Cuba, Greenland, Colombia and Mexico were among the countries President Donald Trump directly mentioned as he asserts U.S. power in the western hemisphere.

“Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump said in a press conference following the capture of Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In a news-packed session with reporters, Trump reiterated his message of U.S. dominance: here are some key takeaways.

1. The U.S. is ‘in charge’ of Venezuela 

“We’re in charge,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday, while noting that Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, is cooperating with the U.S. Maduro, meanwhile, faces a trial in New York, where he has pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges. 

Asked about the future of elections, Trump said he must do “one thing in Venezuela: bring it back.” 

“It’s a dead country right now,” he said. “We’re going to have to have big investments by the oil companies to bring back the infrastructure. The oil companies are ready to go.” Asked how soon an election can take place, he reiterated, “It’s a mess. The country is a mess. It’s been horribly run,” adding that oil has been flowing at a lower level and generating less income than it should have. 

“We’re going to run everything. We’re going to run it, fix it,” Trump said. “We’ll have elections at the right time. The main thing you have to fix, it’s a broken country. There’s no money. There’s inflation, like we would’ve had, if I didn’t win this election – we would’ve been Venezuela on steroids.” 
 

2. A direct warning to Colombia’s president on cocaine 

Trump also issued a direct threat to Colombia, calling it “very sick” and “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.” 

“He’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you,” Trump said. “He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He’s not going to be doing it very long.” 

Asked by a reporter if there will be an operation by the U.S., Trump said, “it sounds good to me.” 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro pushed back on Monday, promising he will “take up arms” if Trump attacks and said he is not “illegitimate, nor am I a drug trafficker.” 

“Although I haven’t been a soldier, I know about war and clandestine operations,” he wrote on X. “I swore never to touch another weapon after the 1989 Peace Agreement, but for the sake of my country, I will take up arms again, weapons I don’t want.”  

3. ‘We need Greenland’ for national security  

Trump, while declining to comment further on Greenland, said “we need” the country “from a national security situation.”  

“It’s so strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” he said. “And Denmark is not going to be able to do it, I can tell you,” he noted, adding that Denmark recently boosted security in Greenland by adding “one more dog sled.”  

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded that it “makes absolutely no sense” for Trump to talk about the U.S. “needing to take over Greenland,” per USA Today.  

“The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” she added.  

4. With Venezuela’s Maduro ousted, Cuba is ‘ready to fall’  

U.S. action likely won’t be needed in Cuba, Trump said, because it “looks like it’s going down” on its own.  

“Cuba is ready to fall. I don’t know if they’re going to hold out. Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from Venezuela, from Venezuelan oil. They’re not getting any of it,” Trump said. “And you have a lot of great Cuban Americans that are going to be very happy about this.” 

He added that “a lot of Cubans were killed” in Venezuela over the weekend, in reference to Cuban officers who served as Maduro’s security detail. “There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side.” 

Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, has estimated that 32 Cuban officers were killed over the weekend, the Associated Press reported.  

5. Mexico must get its ‘act together’ 

Trump also issued a warning to Mexico: “Mexico has to get their act together because they’re pouring through Mexico, and we’re going to have to do something,” he told reporters. “We’d love Mexico to do it. They’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately, their cartels are very strong in Mexico.” 

Speaking of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump said he likes her and that she is a “terrific person” but that she lives in fear of the cartels. 

“I would say every single time I talk to her, I offer to send troops,” he said. “She’s concerned. She’s a little afraid. The cartels are running Mexico, whether you like it or not.” 

In response, Sheinbaum issued a statement rejecting “intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.” 

“The history of Latin America is clear and compelling: intervention has never brought democracy, never generated well-being, nor lasting stability,” she said Monday.