Colombian President Petro says “Gringos are in over their heads if they think invading Venezuela will solve their problems”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro revealed during a cabinet meeting at the Casa de Nariño that he sent a message to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that invading Venezuela would be a mistake.  “The Americans are in a mess if they think invading Venezuela will solve their problems,” Petro told his ministers on August 19, clearly alluding to the social problem the United States faces due to drug use.  According to Petro, he told Trump, through his emissaries, that invading Venezuela “would be the worst mistake” he could make.  At this point in his speech, Petro insisted that he is not an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime.  Regarding this information, Infobae reported that Petro recounted conversations with representatives sent by the United States government, where he expressed his firm stance against the idea of intervention in the neighboring country. 

Infobae is an Argentine online newspaper, launched in 2002 by businessman Daniel Hadad.  It has expanded with local editions in several cities globally, including New York, Mexico City, and Miami, becoming a widely read Spanish-language online newspaper.  One of Petro’s fears is that this invasion of Venezuela will put it in the same situation as Syria and ultimately drag Colombia into the crisis, due to border, social, and economic ties.  Infobae reported that Petro emphasized that a possible military operation in Venezuelan territory would have direct repercussions throughout the region.  Petro recalled that he and Maduro will be elected, and that he is clear about how long he will remain in the Colombian presidency. “Whatever the year, mine is set by the Constitution… we leave on August 6th.” 

Petro’s statements come after it was revealed on August 18 that the United States had sent three warships with guided missiles, a submarine, and 4,000 soldiers to international waters near the Venezuelan coast.  According to the White House, these troops were sent to the area to stem the flow of drugs into the United States, and they will use all the power they have to stop it.  Upon learning this information, Maduro insisted that no empire would touch Venezuelan lands and mobilized 4.5 million militiamen to defend the country from a possible invasion.  According to experts, this is the largest mobilization of U.S. troops in the region since the invasion of Panama in 1989.