Trump on Maduro: "If he wants to play tough, it will be the last time"

BarcelonaUS President Donald Trump continues to escalate his rhetoric against Venezuela. Responding to reporters on Monday, he warned that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro would be "smart" to step down: "If he plays hardball, it will be the last time." In the same appearance, This comes just hours after Russia and China explicitly expressed their support for Caracas in the face of the US military escalation.Trump has also threatened his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, warning him that he "had better watch out."

Until now, the White House's stated objective regarding Venezuela was to curb drug trafficking and regain ground for US oil companies, but now, for the first time, Trump is speaking openly about regime change. The statements have come amid increased tension with Caracas following Trump's order to to block the entry and exit from Venezuela of oil tankers sanctioned by the US government. Trump has said the United States will keep the 1.9 million barrels of oil from the ship seized on December 10. "We're not going to keep them. Maybe we'll sell them or keep them in our strategic reserves. We're going to keep them, and the ships too," he asserted. He also explained that he has spoken with U.S. oil companies about Venezuela, though he did not provide further details. Washington said on Sunday that it is actively pursuing a third tanker near the Venezuelan coast. The oil blockade comes after months of U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean, aimed at intercepting vessels allegedly carrying drugs that Washington links to the Maduro government, which it accuses of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, an accusation Caracas denies. For his part, Maduro has accused the United States of piracy for seizing ships carrying Venezuelan crude oil and has announced actions to ensure these acts do not go unpunished, including a complaint before the UN Security Council, which will be discussed tonight. Regarding Colombia, Trump has referred to Petro as the country's "new leader," even though he was elected in 2022 and has only about eight months left in his presidency. "I love the people of Colombia. They are fantastic, energetic, and smart, but their new leader is an agitator, and he better watch out," Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago residence. The Republican insisted that Colombia has three cocaine labs from which drugs are shipped to the United States. On other occasions, the American has referred to Petro as a "drug trafficking leader."