Trump speaks with Petro amid nationwide Colombia protests against US after Venezuela intervention – live
NEWS | 08 January 2026
From 18m ago 19.40 EST Colombians protest nationwide after Trump threats Crowds of Colombians have gathered in public squares across the country in nationwide demonstrations “to defend national sovereignty” against Donald Trump’s military threats. Colombia’s flags waved in the breeze from rooftops, windows and taxi antennas in the capital, Bogotá, on Wednesday in response to President Gustavo Petro’s call for a “day of national mobilisation”. “The U.S. is the biggest threat to world peace,” one placard at said at a protest in the city’s central Plaza de Bolívar. Hundreds of demonstrators chanted “Long live free and sovereign Colombia!” In a security alert, the US embassy in Bogotá warned Americans to steer clear of the protests “as they have the potential to turn violent”. A demonstrator holds a sign depicting Gustavo Petro with a message in Spanish that translates as “He represent us and has our support” during a protest at Plaza de Bolivar square in Bogotá, Colombia. Photograph: Andres Rot/Getty Images As the Associated Press also reports, Petro has been frustrated with Colombian congressional resistance to his contentious reforms, and as he faces a series of electoral tests he has found in Trump the perfect foil as he fights for his legacy. “He wants this stage where he is the clearest adversary, rhetorically or politically, to the US,” said Sergio Guzman, a political risk analyst based in Bogotá. Share Updated at 19.52 EST 1h ago 19.02 EST Trump confirms Petro call and flags meeting soon Donald Trump just confirmed he spoke with Gustavo Petro, saying he “appreciated his call and tone” and that a meeting between them at the White House would be arranged soon. The US president said on his Truth Social platform: It was a Great Honor to speak with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had. I appreciated his call and tone, and look forward to meeting him in the near future. Arrangements are being made between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Minister of Colombia. The meeting will take place in the White House in Washington, D.C. Share Updated at 19.04 EST 1h ago 18.47 EST Starmer discusses Greenland in call with Trump Keir Starmer spoke with Donald Trump on Wednesday evening and set out his position on Greenland, the UK government said. Both leaders also discussed the joint operation to intercept the Marinera tanker, recent progress on Ukraine and the US operation in Venezuela, said the statement, cited by Reuters. Starmer had earlier said he stood with Denmark in its defence of Greenland and that no one else should determine the future of the vast territory after Trump said he needed it for defence. Share Updated at 18.47 EST 1h ago 18.40 EST Trump and Petro talk in phone call – reports Donald Trump and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro held a phone call on Wednesday afternoon, Reuters has cited a Colombian presidential source and local media as saying. It is the first phone call between the two presidents since Trump said on Sunday that a US military operation focused on Colombia’s government “sounds good” to him. Details of the conversation were not immediately made clear but the source within Petro’s office said the call was “cordial” and “respectful”. Share Updated at 18.46 EST 2h ago 18.22 EST Colombia warns of regional 'catastrophe’ after Washington's Venezuela attack The US military strike on Venezuela that deposed its leader Nicolás Maduro could ripple out into a “catastrophe” for the whole of South America, Colombia’s deputy foreign minister has said. “If there is a major humanitarian crisis, the impact, the devastation will be unstoppable ... We are talking about a catastrophe that Latin America has never seen,” Mauricio Jaramillo told Agence France-Presse in an interview in Bogotá on Wednesday. Colombia shares a porous 2,200km (1,370-mile) border with Venezuela and has been the major recipient of migrants fleeing the economic and political crisis there. Jaramillo said Colombia could never be “fully prepared in the event there is a degradation brought about by war”, especially at a time Latin America is split on Donald Trump’s actions. View image in fullscreen Mauricio Jaramillo talking to reporters in Bogotá this week. Photograph: Carlos Ortega/EPA Rightwing governments in Argentina and Ecuador have backed Maduro’s ouster but leftists in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and others have firmly condemned it. Jaramillo said: That division obviously undermines a regional solution ... Without shared premises and minimum consensus, it’s obviously very difficult to respond at the regional level. He added that a US military attack on Colombia seemed “unlikely” but that the country would have a “legitimate” response if needed. Colombia and its first-ever leftist president, Gustavo Petro, have consistently criticised Washington’s mass naval deployment in South America, its bombing of alleged drug-smuggling boats, seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers and Saturday’s capture of Maduro. The censure from Bogota has irritated Trump, who has accused Petro of being a drug baron – which Petro denies – and warned him on Saturday to “watch his ass”. This is Adam Fulton picking up our live coverage. Stay with us for the latest developments Share Updated at 18.28 EST 3h ago 17.22 EST Trump signs proclamation withdrawing from international organizations, White House says Donald Trump has also signed a proclamation withdrawing the United States from 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 UN entities that “operate contrary to US national interests”, the White House said in a statement. It did not list the organizations, but said they promote “radical climate policies, global governance, and ideological programs that conflict with US sovereignty and economic strength”. It said the move was the result of a review of all international intergovernmental organizations, conventions and treaties that the US is a member of or party to, per Reuters. “These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities, or that address important issues inefficiently or ineffectively such that US taxpayer dollars are best allocated in other ways to support the relevant missions,” the White House said. Since beginning his second term a year ago, Trump has sought to slash US funding for the UN, ended US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council, extended a halt to funding for the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA and quit the UN cultural agency UNESCO. He has also announced plans to quit the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement. Share Updated at 17.47 EST 3h ago 17.15 EST Trumps says Venezuela will 'only' buy US goods with proceeds from oil sale under new deal Donald Trump has said in a post on his Truth Social platform that Venezuela will be purchasing American-made products with the money they receive from the new deal arranged with his administration. I have just been informed that Venezuela is going to be purchasing ONLY American Made Products, with the money they receive from our new Oil Deal. These purchases will include, among other things, American Agricultural Products, and American Made Medicines, Medical Devices, and Equipment to improve Venezuela’s Electric Grid and Energy Facilities. In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner — A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States. Share Updated at 17.41 EST 3h ago 16.59 EST The day so far The US seized two sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela in two separate missions in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean. After a two-week pursuit, US forces boarded the Russian-flagged Marinera - originally known as the Bella 1 - over alleged sanctions violations, in a high-stakes operation that could risk confrontation with the Kremlin after Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to safeguard the vessel. The UK confirmed it provided assistance for the seizure of the Marinera, with the RAF providing extra surveillance and navy refuelling while capture under way. The UK argued the operation was legal and justified because the “stateless” vessel had breached US sanctions on Iran. The UK’s support was “in full compliance with international law”, defence secretary John Healey said. However, Russia said the seizure had violated maritime law after claiming it had given the vessel permission to fly the Russian flag a month ago. Meanwhile the US Coast Guard said it had separately intercepted another dark-fleet tanker that is under sanctions, the M Sophia, in a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean. The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that the Marinera crew members were now subject to prosecution and could be transferred to the US “if necessary”. The Russian foreign ministry demanded the US ensure the humane and dignified treatment of Russian citizens onboard the Marinera and guarantee their swift return to Russia. Ukraine’s foreign minister said Kyiv welcomed the seizure of the tanker, adding it was a good example of how to act against Moscow and said it showcased “President Trump’s resolute leadership”. “We welcome such an approach to dealing with Russia: act, not fear. This is also relevant to the peace process and bringing a lasting peace closer,” Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. On Venezuela, the White House also claimed that oil from the country would arrive in the US “very soon”, following Trump’s announcement of a deal with Caracas to get access to up to $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude. But Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA said that it is progressing in negotiations with the US for oil sales, as a board member for the company told Reuters the US will need to buy cargoes at international prices. “If they want to buy it, they will have it in due time, sold at the international price,” PDVSA board member Wills Rangel told Reuters. “Not the way [Trump] intends, as if that oil belongs to them because we supposedly owe them. We do not owe anything to the United States.” US secretary of state Marco Rubio told reporters that the US “is not winging it” in Venezuela and that the Trump administration has a long-term plan for the country. The three-step plan for Venezuela that will begin with stabilizing the country after US forces seized Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, overseeing the country’s recovery and finally a transition to a more representative form of government, Rubio told reporters. Rubio also confirmed he would be meeting with Denmark next week to discuss Greenland. Leavitt told reporters that the Trump administration was “actively discussing” the purchase of the island and while diplomacy was the first option, “all options are always on the table”. In a statement earlier in the day, Leavitt had added that “utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal”. She also said told reporters that the US controlling Greenland would deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic. Share 4h ago 16.15 EST 'We do not owe US anything': Venezuelan oil company says negotiations ongoing Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA has said that it is progressing in negotiations with the US for oil sales, as a board member for the company told Reuters the US will need to buy cargoes at international prices. On Tuesday, Washington announced a deal with Caracas to get access to up to $2bn worth of Venezuelan crude, a sign that Venezuelan government officials are responding to Donald Trump’s demand that they open up to US oil companies or risk more military intervention. Trump has said he wants interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez, installed this week after the US deposed Nicolás Maduro, to give the US and private companies “total access” to her country’s oil industry. And earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Venezuelan oil would be arriving in the US “very soon”. PDVSA said in a brief statement that the parties have been talking about similar terms as those in place with foreign partners such as Chevron, the company’s main joint venture partner, which currently controls all oil exports to the US. The process ... is based on strictly commercial transactions under terms that are legal, transparent and beneficial for both parties. PDVSA board member Wills Rangel, who is also a union leader, told Reuters the US will need to buy cargoes at international prices if the country wants Venezuelan oil. If they want to buy it, they will have it in due time, sold at the international price. Not the way [Trump] intends, as if that oil belongs to them because we supposedly owe them. We do not owe anything to the United States. Chevron, which has a special US license to export Venezuelan crude despite sanctions, is the only company currently exporting crude from the country, Rangel added, as a US blockade on Venezuela keeps exports bound to China, the main destination of its oil, paralyzed. Share Updated at 16.17 EST 4h ago 16.05 EST US authorities have released two videos filmed by the military following the separate seizures of the Sophia and Marinera oil tankers on Wednesday. US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem and US Southern Command posted the clips on X, which appear to show the US military intercepting a Venezuela-linked tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The footage was released on the same day US forces also intercepted and seized the Russian-flagged Marinera in the north Atlantic. We have the clips here: 0:37 US seizes two oil tankers in international waters – video Share 4h ago 15.46 EST Marinera was 'stateless vessel' with 'long history of nefarious activity', says UK defence secretary, arguing mission was lawful Dan Sabbagh Britain’s Ministry of Defence said it had provided military help to the US forces that seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker north-west of Britain and Ireland, initially arguing the operation was legal because the vessel had breached US sanctions on Iran. John Healey, the defence secretary, said the UK had allowed US aircraft to use bases to prepare for and carry out the mission, while the RAF had provided extra surveillance and the navy refuelling while the final capture was under way. Healey said British involvement was justified under international law because the Marinera, which was sailing from the Caribbean Sea towards Russia, had previously been placed under sanctions when it was known as the Bella 1. “This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” Healey said. View image in fullscreen John Healey issuing a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on 7 January. Photograph: Parliament TV/PA Later, Healey expanded the justification for the seizure. The tanker, he told MPs in the evening, had changed its name “five times in the last five years” and had been falsely flying the flag of Guyana when it was called Bella 1 and arrived in the Caribbean. A “stateless” vessel, the defence secretary said, “may be lawfully intercepted and subjected to the law of the interdicting state”. Stateless ships are generally considered to be without protection under international law, although there is debate about the extent to which they can be boarded or seized. The Marinera was also, the minister said, part “of an increasing web of shadow shipping that fuels and funds instability” and that “Russia operates a vast shadow fleet of its own to bankroll its illegal invasion of Ukraine”. Stopping such ships from trading covertly was hurting Russia’s war effort, he added. The UK had decided to assist in response to a request from the US for help, the defence secretary said. But British forces only played a supporting role and no British forces took part in the boarding, Healey told MPs on Wednesday evening. UK helped US seize Russian-flagged tanker, defence ministry says Read more Share Updated at 15.48 EST 4h ago 15.30 EST Explainer: what are Trump’s real options for gaining control of Greenland? By Jon Henley and Miranda Bryant The Trump administration has said repeatedly that the US needs to gain control of Greenland, a mineral-rich, largely self-governing part of Denmark with foreign and security policy run from Copenhagen. The White House has said using the US military is “always an option”, but few analysts believe an armed operation is likely and France’s foreign minister has said the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ruled out the possibility of an invasion. Here are five options Donald Trump has in order to take over Greenland: What are Trump’s real options for gaining control of Greenland? Read more Share 5h ago 15.09 EST Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski told the Associated Press (AP) earlier that she hated “the rhetoric around either acquiring Greenland by purchase or by force,” adding, “I think that it is very, very unsettling.” New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis, co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Nato Observer Group, said the US needs to honor its treaty obligations to Denmark, AP reported. “Any suggestion that our nation would subject a fellow Nato ally to coercion or external pressure undermines the very principles of self-determination that our Alliance exists to defend,” the senators said in a joint statement. Share 6h ago 14.21 EST Rubio says US plan for Venezuela is stability, recovery, then transition Further to his insistence that the US is “not winging it” in Venezuela, we have more details on what secretary of state Marco Rubio said earlier regarding the US’s plan for the country. Rubio said the United States has a three-step plan for Venezuela that will begin with stabilizing the country after US forces seized Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, overseeing the country’s recovery and finally a transition to a more representative form of government, Reuters reports. “We don’t want it descending into chaos,” said Rubio, after briefing US senators on the Trump administration’s plan for the country. He added that he was working with Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, and had spoken with her several times since the weekend’s raid in Caracas. A tightened quarantine on Venezuelan oil would be central to that effort, he said: We are in the midst right now and in fact about to execute on a deal to take all the oil. We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil. We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting. That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is disbursed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime. Rubio went on: The second phase will be a phase that we call recovery, and that is ensuring that American, western and other companies have access to the Venezuelan market in a way that’s fair. Also, at the same time, begin to create the process of reconciliation nationally within Venezuela, so that the opposition forces can be amnestied and released and from prisons or brought back to the country, and begin to rebuild civil society. And then the third phase, of course, will be one of transition. Share
Author: Jakub Krupa. Adam Fulton. Lucy Campbell. Frances Mao.
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