Rubio: Cuba May Be the Next Target After Venezuela

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Saturday that Cuba could be the next target of efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration, following the U.S. military operation carried out in Venezuela that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Rubio added that he would be somewhat concerned if he were an official in the Cuban government, noting that recent developments in Venezuela carry clear implications for other countries in the region. He said: “If I were living in Havana and I were in the government, I would be at least a little concerned.”

In a related development, U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier on Saturday issued a strongly worded warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro following the arrest of the Venezuelan president.

Trump was quoted as saying that Petro “makes cocaine and sends it to the United States,” warning him to be cautious, according to his remarks.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the U.S. operation carried out against Venezuela resulted in the deaths of 40 people.

The newspaper quoted a Venezuelan official as saying that the fatalities included civilians and soldiers who were killed during the U.S. attack.

U.S. officials also stated that more than 150 American aircraft were deployed to destroy Venezuelan air defense systems, in order to enable military helicopters to deploy the forces that carried out the assault on President Maduro’s location.