Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said Tuesday that the United States must work to prevent a "second failed state" from developing in Colombia, an American ally, as Washington continues to address the ongoing unrest in Venezuela.
Continetti's comments came during an appearance on Fox News's Special Report, where he discussed the Trump administration's efforts to transition away from dictator Nicolas Maduro's regime in Venezuela.
Continetti said that the administration has been trying to find a peaceful way for Maduro to step down from power and leave Venezuela, but added that Cuba and Russia's support for the dictator makes the situation difficult.
"The danger here—and there are worse things than a more assertive American posture—and that is, not only the failed state that is already developing in Venezuela, but a second failed state that could develop in neighboring Colombia, a U.S. ally," he said.
Continetti went on to say that the millions of Venezuelans who have left the country, largely fleeing the chaos caused by Maduro's rule, could cause an explosion of unrest in surrounding states.
"If the trend that we're witnessing now continues, millions more might spill over into Colombia, thereby creating a second failed state," he said. "This is of important national interest for the United States."
Colombia has joined the United States and dozens of other countries in recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president. Colombian authorities recently created a list of 300 people close to Maduro who will not be allowed into the country, the Associated Press reported.
Colombian leaders prevented Maduro's cousin, Argimiro Maduro, along with his wife, children, and extended family from entering Colombia. They claimed they wanted to spend a vacation in Colombia until power is restored following a massive outage in Venezuela.
Colombia Migration Director Christian Kruger said Maduro's relatives were denied entry because Colombia will not allow them to avoid "the reality of a people in agony."