Threats after Maduro coup Trump's long list - which country is next?

The USA has just attacked Venezuela and arrested head of state Maduro. US President Trump is already putting pressure on other countries with threats. Who is he targeting?

Following the spectacular US military operation to arrest Venezuela's authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump's government is already threatening the next countries. The next potential targets are not only in Central and South America. An overview.

Will Colombia follow Venezuela? Trump said of Venezuela's neighboring country that it is "very sick" and is ruled by a "sick man" who loves to "produce cocaine and sell it to the United States". He "won't be doing that much longer", Trump said - without going into detail about what he meant specifically.

The US President had already severely criticized Colombia's head of state Gustavo Petro several times before. When asked by a journalist whether there would be a military operation against Colombia, Trump said: "That sounds good to me."

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In light of reports of deaths during the recent anti-government protests in Iran, Trump has now also threatened the leadership in Tehran once again with intervention. The USA was monitoring the protests very closely, Trump told journalists during a flight to Washington.

"If they start killing people, as they have done in the past, I think they will be hit very hard by the United States," Trump said. "We're watching that very closely." It remained unclear what steps the US might be considering.

Trump has also repeatedly commented on Greenland, an autonomously administered territory in the Arctic that belongs to Denmark. Most recently, he said again on Sunday evening (local time) that "we need Greenland for national security".

The island is of great strategic importance, but is currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships. "Denmark will not be able to do this, I can tell you that," said Trump. It was also clear to the European Union that the USA "should have" Greenland, Trump claimed.

Earlier, ex-government advisor and influencer Katie Miller had published a map of Greenland in the colors of the US flag on her X account. She wrote the word "SOON" on it. Miller still has good relations in the White House. She is married to Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

With regard to Cuba, it was US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who last commented on the government there. He described the government in Cuba as a "huge problem". He said this to the US broadcaster NBC News when asked whether the US attack on Venezuela would now be followed by Cuba.

He did not want to talk about future steps by the US government with regard to Cuba. "But I think it's no secret that we're not big fans of the Cuban regime." The latter had supported Venezuela's now ousted head of state Nicolás Maduro, Rubio continued.

Rubio has the backing of his boss: Cuba is "a failing state", Donald Trump said in a media conference, as reported by the Guardian. "The people there have suffered for many, many years, and I believe that Cuba will be a country that we will be talking about."

Cuba has been under authoritarian rule since the victory of the revolution in 1959. The Communist Party controls the state, economy and society. Relations between Havana and Washington have been tense for decades - steps towards a cautious rapprochement under US President Barack Obama have been reversed by Donald Trump.

Just a few hours after the US operation in Venezuela, Trump questioned the authority of Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum. She had rejected US operations against drug cartels in her country.

"She doesn't govern Mexico, the cartels do," said the US President according to US magazine Politico. He had asked Sheinbaum several times "whether we should take out the cartels. 'No, no, no Mr. President, no, no, no, please don't'", Trump continued. It was therefore clear to him: "Something has to happen with Mexico."

However, this will not happen immediately, believes Latin America expert Michael Riekenberg, a historian and professor emeritus at the University of Leipzig. "With a view to the joint football World Cup this year, I see Mexico trying to avoid an escalation," he is quoted as saying by Bild.

Another country with which the Trump government has a problem is Nicaragua. Foreign Minister Marco Rubio has repeatedly categorized the autocratic regime of Daniel Ortega as a security policy problem. In Washington, Nicaragua is considered a close ally of Maduro.

Without being specific, Rubio said after Maduro's arrest that some governments in the region should be "seriously concerned". Trump had also already said that some rulers "will not make it through this term".