Podcast Summary: The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Episode: Inside Colombia - is Trump preparing for war?
Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Yalda Hakim (Sky News) & Richard Engel (NBC)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Yalda Hakim and Richard Engel delve into rapidly escalating tensions in Colombia and Venezuela amidst an aggressive U.S. military buildup under President Trump. They also dissect the shocking rise of Ahmed Al Sharar, a former Al Qaeda affiliate and now Syria’s new president, who recently met with Trump at the White House. The episode blends frontline reporting, on-the-ground observations, and direct analysis of the Trump administration’s evolving foreign policy in Latin America and the Middle East.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dramatic U.S. Military Buildup in the Caribbean

• Richard reports from Colombia:
  • Noted an "enormous amount of military power" in the region: over 10,000 U.S. troops, warships, a submarine, fighter jets, and drones.
  • U.S. has conducted approximately 20 kinetic strikes on alleged narco-boats and even an improvised submarine headed for the U.S.
  • Local sources and officials anticipate imminent military action focused on regime change in Venezuela.

    "There is an enormous amount of military power in this region... A huge amount of firepower coming to the region where I am right now, which raises the question: Why? What's going on? Is the US going to do a war to overthrow Maduro?" – Richard (04:32)

• Maduro and regional dynamics:
  • Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and Colombia’s Gustavo Petro both described by Trump as “narco-terrorists.”
  • U.S. moves seen not only as anti-drugs but as a broader attempt to reshape regional power, target leftist regimes, and counter China's growing influence.
• China’s stake:
  • Shift in trade: While the U.S. was once Latin America's main trading partner, China now dominates.
  • Trump administration views this as a direct threat to the U.S. sphere of influence.

2. Trump's Approach to Strongmen and Regime Change

• Yalda contextualizes Trump’s foreign policy ethos:
  • Trump’s openly antagonistic stance towards Maduro contrasts with his often admiring tone toward strongman leaders like Xi, Erdogan, or Putin.
  • Current actions are a reprise of “Trump 1.0” playbook: build pressure, threaten openly, then demand regime change or else ("sort your house out or I’m going to remove you from power").
  • Motives go beyond narcotics: flows of fentanyl, cross-border migration, and especially “sending a very direct signal to China.”
• Pressure tactics:
  • The U.S. is targeting not just drug shipments but aiming to fragment Maduro's power base, using overt military displays and covert operations as psychological warfare.

3. Local Sentiment and Risks of Escalation

• Fear and uncertainty on the ground:
  • Richard shares the mood among Colombians and Venezuelans: U.S. threats are considered credible, and locals anticipate real action—not just sabre-rattling.
  • Speculation is widespread regarding airstrikes on narco-labs (16:32), regime change attempts in Venezuela, and broader knock-on effects for the region.
• Quote:

  "The mood on the street is that this is not just bluster. People don't think that he's just doing this for show. The belief is that before the end of the year...there will probably be some sort of kinetic strikes, land strikes in Venezuela." – Richard (16:32)

• Concerns over regional domino effect:
  • Trump administration (notably Secretary of State Rubio and National Security Advisor) hopes the toppling of Maduro will trigger broader shifts away from left-wing governments and reduce narco/political entanglements.

4. The Ahmad Al Sharar Saga: From Jihadi to President

• Historic transformation:
  • Former Al Qaeda affiliate leader, Al Nusra Front chief, U.S. prisoner—now president of Syria and guest at the White House.
  • Both hosts marvel at the “astonishing and remarkable journey” of Sharar, with Yalda recalling their reporting from Syria during Assad’s fall (20:56).
• Trump’s view of Sharar:

  "He's a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place and he's a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him...We have peace now in the Middle East. First time that anyone can remember that ever happening." – Donald Trump (22:49)

  • U.S. has lifted the $10m bounty on Sharar as part of normalization efforts, seeking cooperation against ISIS.

5. Is Sharar a Stabilizer or Another Threat?

• Complex challenges facing Syria:
  • Sharar's past casts doubt: Is he a pragmatic reformer or a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” biding time for hardline Islamist rule?
  • Richard: Assad’s regime was kleptocratic; Sharar is "ideologically flexible," but his ultimate motives remain unclear to wary Syrian minorities (Alawites, Druze, Christians, Kurds).
  • U.S. calculations: Their main interest is Sharar’s capacity and willingness to contain ISIS and radical jihadis.

    "This guy is, you know, ideological, ideologically flexible, but people don't know him. And I think that is what a lot of the fear is." – Richard (25:32)

  • Notable moments: Sharar shooting hoops with CENTCOM’s chief and meeting General Petraeus, his former captor.

6. Predictions and Looking Forward

• Richard’s forecast:
  • Expects U.S. ground strikes on Venezuelan narco-labs before year’s end and increased pressure on Maduro’s inner circle to force a handover.
• Yalda’s focus:
  • Monitoring spiraling crises in Sudan and South Sudan with a warning about potential new civil conflict.
• Both reflect on Colombia’s beauty and tragedy:
  • Richard describes the country's dense jungles and biodiversity but laments the impact of crime and narco-violence in destabilizing governance and prospects.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the U.S. military buildup:

  "Once you put all these guns on the table, somebody's getting shot." – Richard (11:45)

• On Ahmad Al Sharar’s rise:

  "From Al Qaeda leader feared in Syria, a bounty on his head to now meeting with the President of the United States and talking about new relations, sanctions lifted against him..." – Richard (02:57)
  "He went from being a bomb maker in Iraq to...a bomb maker for Al Qaeda, spending years in American prisons...then going to Syria and forming the affiliate to Al Qaeda, the Al Nusra Front, and then...being this rebel fighter..." – Yalda (19:00)

• Trump on Sharar:

  "He's a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place and he's a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him..." – Donald Trump (22:49)

• On regime change in Venezuela:

  "The belief among many in the Trump administration...is that if you can get rid of Maduro, that it will have a chain reaction and get rid of change politics across this region..." – Richard (16:32)

• On U.S. goals in Latin America:

  "President Trump...wants this region to be America's region and that this is his home background or the United States home turf. And if you can't control your own turf, what kind of world power are you?" – Richard (09:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening, Rise of US Troop Presence – 00:00-04:32
• Contextualizing Trump’s Latin America Strategy – 06:32-12:56
• On-the-Ground Local Reactions in Colombia/Venezuela – 15:45-18:16
• Syria’s Regime Change & Ahmed Al Sharar’s Journey – 19:00-25:32
• Trump and Sharar’s White House Meeting – 22:49-23:12
• Predictions for Venezuela, Colombia, Sudan – 29:46-31:25
• Reflections on Colombia’s Geography and Stability – 31:25-33:05

Tone and Style

• The hosts maintain their signature frontline candor—Richard offers gritty, first-person details; Yalda asks incisive, framing questions.
• The episode is marked by urgency, skepticism about regime change, and amazement at world events’ unpredictability.
• Trump’s voice clips retain his characteristically blunt and often admiring language when discussing controversial strongmen.

Conclusion

This episode blends breaking analysis of U.S. power projections in Latin America and the Middle East with on-the-ground perspectives, insider anecdotes, and vivid historic context. The hosts challenge official narratives while providing clarity on complex global power shifts—leaving listeners with a sense of anticipation and uncertainty about what comes next in Colombia, Venezuela, and Syria.