Colombia prepares for refugee influx after US .strikes on Venezuela

Department of Research, Strategic Studies 06/01/2026

Just days after deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump has threatened to carry out military action against other US foes.

Maduro’s capture in a US raid on January 3 has shaken Tehran, a close ally of the Venezuelan strongman.

Washington is unlikely to carry out a similar operation in Iran. But the brazen Venezuela attack has sent a clear signal to Tehran that the United States is willing to use force to remove its enemies, experts say.

Trump recently warned Iran that Washington was “locked and loaded” and ready to intervene if Tehran killed “peaceful protesters” during ongoing antiestablishment protests.’Khamenei Himself Could Be Targeted’
Experts say the United States replicating its Venezuela operation in Iran and deposing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who has been in power since 1989 — is unlikely.

Venezuela lies in the United States’ strategic “backyard,” whereas Iran is located thousands of kilometers away in the Middle East. The Islamic republic also has greater military capabilities and a more entrenched political system.

Colombia is bracing for a potential refugee crisis following US strikes in Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.

Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that he was sending 30,000 soldiers to the border with Venezuela to shore up security, and the country has also enacted emergency measures to support refugees.

At the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, which spans the Tachira River separating Colombia and Venezuela near the border city of Cucuta, vehicle and foot traffic flowed normally on Monday despite an increased military presence, which included three parked Colombian M1117 armoured security vehicles.

But with United States President Donald Trump threatening more attacks if newly sworn-in interim leader Delcy Rodriguez does not “behave”, an uneasy calm has settled over the border region, and Colombia is preparing for the worst.

Sanchez said security forces had been “activated” to prevent any retaliation from armed groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and Segunda Marquetalia, or Second Marquetalia — a dissident faction of the leftist group FARC, that have operated with virtual impunity in Venezuela for years.