Colombian military must defend against potential US invasion, minister says


A soldier stands near the military vehicles at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 5, 2026. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez

BOGOTA, Jan ‌6 (Reuters) - Colombia's foreign minister ‌on Tuesday said the ‌country's military must defend the country's territory and sovereignty in ‍the event of ‍a hypothetical ‌U.S. invasion.

U.S. President Donald Trump ‍on Sunday ​threatened Colombia with military action ⁠similar to the one carried ‌out in neighboring Venezuela that ⁠ended with ‍the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

“If such ‍aggression were to occur, ‌the military must defend the national territory and the country’s sovereignty,” Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said at a press conference, adding that, ‌under international law, states have the right to legitimate ​self-defense.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)

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