AFP: Trump's Control in South America

United States - Since President Trump returned to politics this January, he has been trying to expand his influence in Latin America, using a carrot-and-stick approach that has caused turmoil on the continent. According to AFP, Trump ordered interventions in several countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina, while deploying naval fleets in the Caribbean has raised concerns about a possible U.S. military intervention in Venezuela and the overthrow of its controversial leader, Nicolas Maduro.

The president defended this deployment by stating that he had ordered an "armed conflict" against drug trafficking groups he called "terrorist organizations." However, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said on ABC TV on Sunday, "You wouldn't move combat forces from their initial locations to the Caribbean unless you intended to intimidate the country [...] or conduct a military operation in Venezuela."

This is particularly noteworthy given that Trump has stated he approved secret CIA operations in Venezuela and has not ruled out the possibility of ground strikes.

- The United States' "Backyard" in South America -

History has not been kind to American interventions in the South American continent, including the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, which aimed to overthrow Fidel Castro. (On the early morning of April 17, 1961, U.S.-backed mercenaries landed at Playa Girón and Playa Larga in the Bay of Pigs area of Cuba, invading Cuba, but were defeated by Cuban armed forces within 72 hours, known as the "Bay of Pigs Invasion".)

In some ways, the current president seems to be reviving the Monroe Doctrine proposed by President James Monroe in the 1820s, which refers to an American foreign policy regarding control over the Americas. This doctrine aimed to establish U.S. hegemony in South America's "backyard." From the beginning of Trump's presidency, he targeted Panama, threatening to control the Panama Canal under the "America First" policy and to curb China's influence.

Subsequently, he pressured allies and non-allies, including threatening tariffs, to receive immigrants deported from the United States, as part of an effort to combat illegal immigration, which led to the initial diplomatic crisis with Bogota.

In the following months, the president condemned the "political persecution" of Brazil's former far-right president Bolsonaro, who was convicted of attempting a coup, causing strong outrage in Brasilia.

Recently, he tied billions of dollars in economic aid to Argentina to the results of legislative elections, which his close ally Javier Milei won. He also courted other "friendly" leaders, such as Daniel Noboa of Ecuador and Nayib Bukele of El Salvador. On the contrary, he fiercely criticized critics, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whom he called a "drug lord" and sanctioned, and Nicolas Maduro, who was indicted in the United States for drug trafficking.

As for relations with Mexico, led by Claudia Sheinbaum (Mexico has carefully avoided escalating the situation), and Brazil, led by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the relationship has remained tense against the backdrop of difficult trade negotiations.

- Venezuela Becomes the Target -

Reynata Segura, head of the Latin America and Caribbean program at the International Crisis Group, told AFP, "Ultimately, the goal of the Trump administration is clearly to shape Latin American policy according to the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) agenda."

However, the situation in Venezuela has become the most pressing issue in the capitals of Latin America and beyond, especially driven by hawkish figures like U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio himself is of Cuban descent and is a firm opponent of Havana and Caracas.

According to observers, Rubio is a key figure in the U.S. president's Venezuela policy, aiming to create a domino effect that would eventually overthrow the Cuban regime.

Ms. Segura said that U.S. airstrikes against ships suspected of being involved in drug trafficking sent "a very clear signal" to the United States, meaning "the U.S. will take unilateral action when it deems appropriate."

However, Roxana Virgil of the Council on Foreign Relations pointed out, "If the goal is to provoke internal divisions through pressure and ultimately bring down Maduro, then Trump tried this approach during his first term, but it failed."

During his first term (2017-2021), Donald Trump implemented the most stringent sanctions against ... but ultimately failed.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847391060598796/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.