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The United States’ long history of interventionism in Latin America is no secret. From the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which established Latin America as firmly within the USA’s sphere of interest, to fighting the spread of communism and later the War on Drugs throughout the 1970s. It seems President Trump has a vested interest in continuing the trend, with his latest incursions in Venezuela and the staggering level of financial support he has provided to Argentina’s Javier Milei.
Trump has justified actions in Venezuela by blaming Venezuelan President Maduro for the influx of migrants to the US, as well as accusing him of being part of the US-designated terrorist group Cartel de los Soles, which facilitates the flow of drugs into the USA. Maduro has denied being part of a cartel, though analysts point out that the organisation is a network of corrupt officials who turn a blind eye to illegal drugs trafficking, rather than a hierarchical organisation.
The latest in a series of escalations against Venezuela is the seizure of an crude oil tanker on December 10th, which Trump claims was being used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has labelled the move “international piracy”, claiming the US wants Venezuelan energy resources. Previously, US strikes against Venezuela in international waters have amounted to “extrajudicial executions,” according to UN officials. Whilst the escalations are reckless and concerning, Maduro’s relative exclusion from the international community due to allegations of human rights abuses and corruption mean the move is unlikely to be seriously challenged.
The seizure seems to have empowered Trump, as he renewed threats against Colombian President Gustavo Petro. In a press conference shortly after the event, the US President said “He’s going to have himself some big problems if he doesn’t wise up… He’ll be next. I hope he’s listening.” Colombia has long been a partner with the US in combatting the distribution of drugs such as cocaine, with Petro warning Trump on X not to “damage two centuries of diplomatic relations.”
Whilst Trump maintains a hostile attitude to the Colombian and Venezuelan leaders, he has cultivated close links elsewhere. The US leader has previously offered Argentinian President Javier Milei, known for his radical libertarian reforms, a bail-out of $20bn shortly before the election period. He has acknowledged the bail-out, which he hopes will calm Argentina’s currency crisis, is an attempt to sway legislative elections. In October, he said “If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina.” Previously, he has supported former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, claiming that his prosecution by the Supreme Court after a 2023 coup attempt was a “witch-hunt”.
Trump is clearly concerned with maintaining the USA’s historic influence in Latin America, explicitly throwing his support behind right-wing candidates whilst undermining the sovereignty of nations with left-wing leaders and engaging in direct hostilities with Venezuela. It seems that the nations of Latin America will continue to be subject to Trumps’ machinations for the foreseeable future – the days of the Monroe Doctrine are far from over.
Edited by: Daniel Groves
Image: Jorge Campos, 10th January 2022 // Unsplash
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