Petro warns of the risk of regional war in the event of a US attack on Venezuela.

247 - Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a grave warning to the international community, cautioning that military aggression against Venezuela could trigger a regional war. The statement comes amid escalating tensions caused by U.S. threats to send a naval fleet to the Venezuelan coast.

In a forceful speech, the Colombian leader painted a grim picture for the immediate future of the region. “If there is violent aggression against Venezuela, what we see in Syria and Iraq will become the reality for the entire Gran Colombia region,” Petro stated, referring to the historical territory encompassing Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Panama. “Mass murderers will seize territories, driven by greed, and states will weaken as instruments of social peace,” he added.

The diplomatic crisis between Washington and Caracas has intensified in recent weeks after US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of ships with guided missiles and more than four thousand troops to the region, justifying the action as necessary to contain the "threat" from drug trafficking groups. The naval mobilization took on more defined contours when White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt declared that Trump intends to use "all the power" of the country against drug cartels on the continent – ​​an action that intensified after the US classified Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the head of the Los Soles cartel.