Colombia has issued a stark warning that the recent United States military operation in Venezuela, which led to the removal of President Nicolas Maduro, could spiral into a catastrophic situation for the entire Latin American region. The country's deputy foreign minister expressed grave concerns over the potential for an unstoppable humanitarian crisis.
A Dire Warning from Bogota
In an interview with AFP in Bogota on Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo painted a grim picture of the possible consequences. He stated that a major humanitarian crisis resulting from the conflict would lead to unprecedented devastation. "We are talking about a catastrophe that Latin America has never seen," Jaramillo emphasized, highlighting the severe regional implications.
This warning comes amidst consistent criticism from Colombia and its first leftist president, Gustavo Petro, towards Washington's aggressive posture. The Colombian government has condemned the US's mass naval deployment in Latin American waters, its bombing of vessels allegedly involved in drug smuggling, the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers, and the surgical extraction of Maduro that occurred on Saturday.
Regional Division and Tensions with the US
The political fallout has been significant, irritating US President Donald Trump. Trump has accused President Petro of being a drug baron and issued a blunt warning on Saturday, telling him to "watch his ass." The situation is further complicated by the deep political split across Latin America regarding Trump's actions.
While right-wing governments in countries like Argentina and Ecuador have supported the move against Maduro, leftist-led nations including Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia have firmly condemned the US intervention. Jaramillo pointed out that this division critically undermines the possibility of a unified regional solution to the escalating crisis.
"Without shared premises and minimum consensus, it’s obviously very difficult to respond at the regional level," he stated, underscoring the challenge of collective action.
Colombia's Vulnerable Position and Preparedness
Colombia finds itself in a particularly vulnerable position, sharing a long and porous 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Venezuela. The nation has already been the primary recipient of millions of migrants fleeing Venezuela's economic and political collapse over recent years.
Jaramillo admitted that Colombia could never be fully prepared for the degradation that a full-scale war would bring, especially given the current regional discord. While he considered a direct US military attack on Colombia to be "unlikely," he asserted that the country reserves the right to a "legitimate" response if such a scenario were to unfold. The situation remains highly volatile, with the potential for ripple effects that could destabilize the continent.
