US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered.”

In an interview with Politico, Trump issued a new ultimatum against Maduro amid Washington’s aggressive campaign in the Caribbean—and Caracas’s accusation that the White House seeks regime change. “His days are numbered,” he said.

Although he declined to give further details on how far he might go to remove Maduro from power, the US president hinted at his tacit support for that option.

Trump to Politico

‘Maduro’s days are numbered’ pic.twitter.com/i1JThLfJ44

— Global Report (@Globalrepport) December 9, 2025

In the same conversation, Trump did not rule out taking similar actions against countries like Colombia and Mexico after the journalist suggested they are “even more responsible for fentanyl trafficking into the US.”

“Yeah, I would. Sure. I would,” the president responded, consistent with his recent threats to act “on the ground” against other Latin American nations under the pretext of fighting drugs.

Global Outcry as US Escalates Military Threats Against Venezuela

Summary of US aggression in the Caribbean

  • Military deployment: Since August, the US has maintained a significant military presence off Venezuela’s coast, officially justified as part of the war on drugs. Washington later announced Operation Southern Spear, claiming it aims to “eliminate narco-terrorists” from the Western Hemisphere and “protect” the US from “the drugs that are killing” its citizens.
  • Lethal operations: The campaign has included bombings of suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing more than 80 people—despite no public evidence that the targeted boats were engaged in narcotics trafficking.
  • Accusations and bounty: Washington has accused President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel—without presenting evidence—and doubled the reward for information leading to his arrest.
  • Caracas’s position: Maduro maintains the true US objective is “regime change” to seize Venezuela’s vast oil and gas reserves, which include the world’s largest crude oil reserves.
  • Lack of support: Both the United Nations and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) acknowledge Venezuela is not a primary drug transit route to the US—over 80% of narcotics follow the Pacific corridor through Colombia and Ecuador.
  • International condemnation: Russia, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the governments of Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil have condemned the US strikes. Experts and officials describe the attacks as “summary executions” that violate international law.

(RT)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/JB/SH

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