Talk to Al Jazeera

Since the United States abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of "narcoterrorism", Colombia has found itself under growing pressure from Washington. President Gustavo Petro responds to President Donald Trump’s accusations. The Colombian leader also addresses diplomacy vs confrontation, regional sovereignty and whether Latin America is entering a dangerous new chapter.

The United States is reviving a policy first set out in the 1800s that treats Latin America as its strategic sphere of influence. As Washington expands maritime operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, critics warn of legal violations and rising regional instability. Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin joins Talk to Al Jazeera to discuss US strikes, Venezuela, migration pressures, and China’s growing role in the region — and whether diplomacy can still prevent escalation in a hemisphere shaped once again by power politics.

Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera as tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalate. With Washington deploying additional military assets to the Caribbean, Colombia finds itself on the front line of a widening regional standoff. Sanchez discusses the pressure this places on President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” strategy, the surge in armed groups, and the country’s fight against drug trafficking. He warns that any further confrontation could trigger new migration flows, empower criminal networks, and jeopardise Colombia’s fragile security gains.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about the prospects for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, whether Trump can bring Putin and Zelenskyy to the negotiating table, and why Europe insists on clear red lines. From frozen Russian assets to NATO deterrence and Finland’s unique position as a NATO member sharing a long border with Russia, Valtonen explains what a realistic settlement would require, and why she believes Moscow is still not interested in genuine peace.

South Africa’s foreign minister Ronald Lamola speaks to Talk to Al Jazeera about the mysterious arrival of a flight carrying Palestinians, why authorities were blindsided, and what the incident reveals about the networks moving people out of Gaza. He also discusses South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the country’s G20 summit, and how Pretoria sees its role in a rapidly shifting global order shaped by conflict, diplomatic pressure and competing visions of justice.