Trump Defends Venezuela Raid and Warns Cuba

In late December and early January, Trump launched attacks on Venezuelan soil, claiming that the moves were required to combat drug traffickers.

The first attack targeted Trump's port, which is affiliated to the gang Tren de Aragua.

The second, on January 3, was a larger offensive that resulted in the kidnapping and detention of Venezuela's then-president, Nicolas Maduro.

At the conference, Trump hailed the operation as a huge success.

"America's armed forces also ended the reign of one of the biggest cartel kingpins of all, with Operation Absolute Resolve to bring outlaw dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice in a precision raid," Mr. Trump stated.

Maduro is presently awaiting trial in New York on drug-trafficking allegations, but a declassified intelligence assessment calls into question his claim to have commanded drug trafficking operations.

Trump described the raid as rough yet effective.

"We went straight into the heart. We got them out, and it was horrible. It was approximately 18 minutes of sheer violence, and we got them out," he explained.

The early morning operation in Venezuela killed at least 80 persons, including Cuban military officers, Venezuelan security forces, and civilians.

Trump has since cited Venezuela as an example of regime transition.

Maduro's successor, interim President Delcy Rodriguez, has agreed to several of Trump's demands, including improvements to Venezuela's oil and mining industries.

This week, the two countries reestablished diplomatic relations for the first time since 2019.

Trump Warns Cuba and Expands Regional Doctrine

During the summit, Trump also sharply criticized Cuba's communist regime.

Since the January attack on Venezuela, the Trump administration has stepped up its "maximum pressure" campaign against Cuba, which has been subjected to a US trade blockade since the 1960s.

The government halted oil and financial flows from Venezuela to Cuba and imposed economic sanctions on countries that supplied oil to the island.

Cuba has subsequently seen severe blackouts, and the United Nations warns that the country is on the verge of humanitarian collapse.

Trump described the situation as a step toward regime change.

"As we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we're also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba," he told reporters.

"Cuba is at the end of the line. They're near the end of the queue. They have no money and no oil.

Trump claimed he thought overthrowing Cuba's regime would be simple.

"Cuba is in its final moments of existence as it was. It'll have a wonderful new life, but it's in its final moments as it is," he explained.

He also created the "Donroe Doctrine," a new policy designed to keep the Western Hemisphere aligned with US objectives.

Trump claimed the concept will prevent foreign countries like China from developing influence in Latin America.

"As these situations in Venezuela and Cuba should make clear, under our new doctrine we will not allow hostile foreign influence to gain a foothold in this hemisphere," Mr. Trump stated.

He also cautioned that this policy applied to critical infrastructure such as the Panama Canal, reminding Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino that the US would not let other nations dominate it.

Related: Read also: Machado Sees Trump as Ally Despite US Backing Rodríguez, Machado Vows Electoral Victory on Return to Venezuela, and Congress Challenges Trump War Powers in Iran Debate.