Khaberni - Less than two days after the American military intervention in Venezuela and the arrest of its president, American President Donald Trump issued explicit threats to redraw the global influence map through military force and economic pressure.
In this context, the correspondent of the British site iPaper for international affairs, Molly Blackwell, identified 8 goals she said summarize what she called: "Trump's expansionist ambitions".
She said that Trump, "in his speech aboard Air Force One less than 48 hours after detaining Nicolas Maduro, hinted at who might be next on his target list, in what some described as a collapse of the global order."
These are the goals mentioned by the correspondent:
-
First: Venezuela and Oil
Trump imposed direct guardianship over Caracas, stating "We're in charge here," threatening Vice President Delcy Rodríguez with a "heavy price" unless she grants American companies full access to the vast oil reserves, under the guise of legal pursuit of the now-detained Venezuelan president in New York, Nicolas Maduro, dating back to 2020.
Molly Blackwell noted that international law prohibits the use of force in international relations, except in narrow cases such as obtaining authorization from the United Nations Security Council or in case of self-defense.
-
Second: Colombia and Petro
Trump directed his remarks towards Bogotá, describing President Gustavo Petro as "the sick man" responsible for the flow of cocaine, hinting at an "Operation Colombia" to overthrow his regime, which sparked regional outrage as a precedent threatening civilian security.
The United States has already classified a notorious drug trafficking organization in Colombia as a terrorist group, similar to a step taken in Venezuela.
-
Third: Exhausted Cuba
Trump predicted a rapid collapse of the regime in Havana, considering Cuba as a "failed state" that lost its lifeline with Maduro's fall, while his Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced threats by urging Cuban officials to "worry" about their future.
Cuba said that 32 of its citizens—all members of the Cuban Armed Forces and intelligence services—were killed during the American operation to capture Maduro.
-
Fourth: Mexico and the Cartels
Trump called for military intervention inside Mexico to confront drug cartels, and although he expressed a desire to coordinate with President Claudia Sheinbaum, the latter strongly criticized Maduro's arrest, considering it a breach of the United Nations Charter.
-
Fifth: Greenland and Denmark
The issue of annexing "Greenland" has resurfaced, with Trump asserting that his country "needs" the island belonging to Denmark, which the Danish leadership described as "fantasy," warning of a NATO rift due to these unilateral threats.
-
Sixth: Iran and Nuclear Facilities
With Washington bombing three nuclear facilities in Iran in 2025, Trump appears "alert" for new strikes, asserting his readiness for military intervention if internal protests are suppressed or Tehran attempts to restore its nuclear capabilities.
-
Seventh: Nigeria and ISIS
Unlike some of his recent actions, the Christmas strikes were conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Trump justified military intervention in Nigeria with airstrikes he described as a "Christmas gift" against ISIS, confirming that the operations are conducted in coordination with authorities in Abuja to strike terrorist targets in the northwest.
-
Eighth: Canada and State 51
Trump pursued an "economic coercion" method with Ottawa, hinting at annexing Canada as the 51st American state to spare it from high taxes, in pursuit of cementing an undisputed dominance by Washington in the Western Hemisphere.
The correspondent noted that the broader Latin America region might be among Trump's targets, where the American president said: "There will be no room to question American dominance in the Western Hemisphere again."
