Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the Trump administration won't achieve any goals should it decide to pursue military actions against Venezuela.
Speaking to his cabinet, Petro said "gringos are mad if they think that invading Venezuela will solve their problems."
"They are dragging Venezuela into a Syria-like situation, with the problem that they are dragging Colombia too," he added. "I told Trump through his emissaries that it would be the worst mistake."
Petro went on to say that an eventual attack would actually be aimed at taking Venezuela's natural resources. "They would take underground riches, minerals, and that means more for death, not for life."
In this context, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the Trump administration "is prepared to use every element of American power" to deal with Venezuela.
Speaking during a press briefing, Leavitt was asked if the administration was considering having "boots on the ground" in the South American country.
"President Trump has been very clear and consistent. He is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding our country and to bring those responsible to justice," she began.
"The Maduro regime is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, it is a narco terror cartel. Maduro, in the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president. It's a fugitive head of a cartel who has been indicted in the U.S. for trafficking drugs into the country."
Three Aegis guided-missile destroyers will arrive off the coast" of the South American country during the next hours, officially to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.
Trump has wanted to use the military to go after Latin American cartels, many of which have been designated as global terrorist organizations.
Maduro has been addressing the developments, saying "the empire has gone mad." He went on to claim that the Trump administration is "fabricating extravagant lies" and "has regurgitated its threats to Venezuela's peace and stability," adding that millions of militia members will be mobilized to address the development.
"We'll guarantee sovereignty and peace in any circumstance that manifests itself over the next days, months and years. We will defeat American imperialism as it comes against our noble, peaceful and working people," he added.
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