Author: LaTabla/Data Journalism Platform, December 3, 2025
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has once again announced that “very soon” ground operations against drug cartels in Venezuela will begin, marking a repetition of threats made several times in the past month.
This time, the notable change was the more aggressive tone: he promised to “wipe out those sons of b*,” a phrase that set his remarks apart from previous warnings.
Repeated Announcements
– November 27 (call with military): Trump hinted that U.S. forces would commence ground actions against Venezuelan drug traffickers.
– November 28 (public statements): he insisted that ground attacks were being prepared, linking them to the success of maritime operations in the Caribbean.
– December 2 (Cabinet meeting at the White House): he confirmed the offensive and hardened his language, assuring that “we know where the bad guys live” and that the operation will transition from the sea to solid ground.
This sequence clearly shows that the president is repetitively making threats and strategic promises, without any concrete actions being carried out so far.
Venezuela and Other Countries
It’s not the first time Trump begins his statements talking about Venezuela and then shifts focus to another country. On November 15, while boarding Air Force One to Miami, he started referring to Caracas but ended up pointing out issues with Mexico and Colombia, which has been interpreted as a way to avoid the Venezuelan topic.
Immediate Reactions
Colombian president Gustavo Petro immediately responded to the new warnings, while Nicolás Maduro did not publicly react and, according to diplomatic sources, wasn’t even aware of Trump’s statements at the White House.
A Ironic Closure
The scene of the announcement had an unexpected twist: while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was speaking, Trump fell asleep. So far in his second term, the president has dozed off six times during public events in this first year, a detail that adds an ironic touch to the confrontational narrative he attempts to maintain.
