The former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez asserted that the eventual downfall of Nicolás Maduro will trigger a "domino effect in the region" that will hasten the end of the regimes in Cuba and Nicaragua.
His statements, made in Miami during a forum of the IDEA Group—which gathers former Ibero-American leaders—come at a time of regional tension following the increase of the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean.
Uribe stated that the departure of the Venezuelan leader would not only have internal repercussions but would also directly impact the allied dictatorships of Havana and Managua.
Moreover, the end of the regime in Caracas could influence the political landscape of Colombia ahead of the upcoming elections.
According to him, a transformation in Venezuela could awaken a new political consciousness in his country, where the current government of Gustavo Petro has a dangerous closeness with chavismo.
The former president went further by claiming that Colombia "runs the risk" of becoming a target for bombings, due to what he described as the presence of "terrorists" in its territory and their "alliance" with the Maduro government.
In his opinion, the U.S. deployment, bolstered by the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the Caribbean, is a response to a threat that could also impact Bogotá if it does not distance itself.
"We risk someone, in the name of their security, dropping bombs on Colombian territory," Uribe warned during his speech at Miami-Dade College.
From his perspective, the country faces a clear dilemma: "either we are with crime, with neocommunism, with narco-terrorism, or we are with democracy."
For him, the priority must be the defeat of criminal organizations, even if that involves the legitimate use of force.
His words emerged as the United States continues a maritime offensive that has resulted in dozens of deaths since September in attacks on boats that U.S. authorities claim are loaded with drugs.
Uribe questioned what a country should do when neighboring governments "harbor terrorists" or "stimulate drug trafficking," suggesting that such permissiveness ultimately becomes a global threat.
The former president also directly criticized Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom he accuses of maintaining a political alliance with Maduro and exposing the country to unnecessary risks in the border area.
Tensions recently escalated after Petro ordered the suspension of communications with U.S. security agencies until attacks on suspicious vessels in the Caribbean and the Pacific ceased.
Washington, for its part, has accused both Caracas and Bogotá of promoting drug trafficking, while Petro has labeled U.S. actions as "assassinations" and "war crimes."
The main focus of the IDEA Group meeting was the analysis of the "end of the dictatorships in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
In this scenario, Uribe insisted that the region is at a critical point and argued that the collapse of the Venezuelan regime could accelerate the political downfall of the other two allied nations.
For Uribe, the outcome in Caracas will determine the immediate future of the continent.
And if it materializes, he asserts, it could trigger a regional political realignment that could even affect Colombia, a country that – in his view – must decide whether to remain aligned with governments it sees as authoritarian or to strengthen its commitment to democracy.
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