The United States has recently escalated its aggressive posturing toward multiple Latin American and Caribbean countries. The rhetoric coming from the White House is dangerous and meant to invoke fear throughout the region. As U.S. influence wanes across the globe, it appears the country wants to exercise its authority in what many high-ranking government officials call “our back yard,” while referring to Caribbean countries as our “third border.”
This language signifies ownership of sovereign nations, particularly in the Caribbean. Colombia and Venezuela, among several other countries, are often included in these assertions. Outrage over how other countries choose to govern themselves is not just evident in places like the two aforementioned countries, but also in places like Mexico, as was evidenced by political pundits in the U.S. demonizing its neighbor to the south for reforming its judicial system last year.
The Trump administration has made it abundantly clear that it intends to conduct its foreign relations based on the Monroe Doctrine, a policy declared and adopted by President James Monroe in 1823. The doctrine suggests that the United States has unilateral authority over Latin America, thus keeping Europe out, while pledging not to interfere in European political affairs.
The Monroe Doctrine was expanded in 1904 by President Theodore Roosevelt in what is referred to as the Roosevelt Corollary. Roosevelt expanded the U.S.’s unilateral foreign policy position by declaring that it had the responsibility to preserve order and protect life and property in Latin America and the Caribbean. Latin American and Caribbean Island nations have suffered myriad U.S.-funded military interventions, terrorist attacks, and backing of dictators ever since.
The Trump administration currently wants to create its own corollary to the Monroe Doctrine by marrying the White House’s white Christian nationalist priorities with regional power. The White House argues that it is “renewed engagement,” but as has been noted by Rubio’s blundering through Latin America, the U.S. neighbors in the region have been less than receptive. Because of that, the administration has seemingly chosen aggression over diplomacy in Latin America.
The most recent actions that could lead to regional wars are cause for alarm.
Venezuela
There’s been a fair amount of discussion about Venezuela lately, especially after the White House deployed military assets off its coast. While it largely felt like a trial balloon to gauge public support for such an attack on a sovereign country, the wording used by members of the White House could easily escalate the situation. It should be noted that a U.S. military presence in the area is not uncommon, as the United States has had a long-standing agreement with Panama to operate out of military facilities in the area.
While the U.S. and Panama signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June that allows U.S. forces to operate from Panamanian air and naval facilities, and despite the Trump administration touting it as a new deal, it wasn’t. It came at a time when the White House was trying to create panic about China taking control of the Panama Canal, so the administration wanted to make it appear as if it did something about the false narrative it created.
As has been common with Latin American countries since Trump took office, they agreed to do what they were already doing, and Trump touts it as a success.
The United States’ military presence in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout Latin America is nothing new, and neither are the agreements between countries that make it possible. The language from the White House is what makes the situation all the more dangerous. While Trump has been deploying military ships in the Gulf for months, with little fanfare, this latest move came with a lot more bluster and bullying.
When White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision to deploy ships, she spoke of how it is aimed at halting the "flow of drugs" and “reinforcing maritime security.” She also emphasized that it was meant to send a message to the Venezuelan government, which the White House has labeled a "drug trafficking cartel," with “trust me, bro” evidence.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon had a different line suggesting they were being deployed to “support counter-narcotics efforts” with no mention of Venezuela. The Pentagon would not publicly confirm the reported deployment of 4,000 sailors and Marines, P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, and at least one attack submarine. Despite this, positioning such a force in such proximity to Venezuela, regardless of the purpose, puts the U.S. in a position to prepare to start a war at will, like it has been doing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Whether creating a virtual blockade in the Gulf of Mexico will be effective in stopping drugs that mostly enter the U.S. through shipping containers and ports of entry remains to be seen. But this posture aligns with Trump’s push to use the military against drug cartels, which it blames for the U.S.’s drug problem, while doing nothing to help those who are addicted to those drugs at home.
Mexico
A recent report from Ken Klippenstein confirmed what I warned about months ago when I reported on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seeking unilateral authority to conduct drone strikes on so-called “terrorists” in February, a power granted solely to the president. When the Pentagon deployed a Stryker Brigade, which boasts surveillance, intelligence gathering, and drone warfare capabilities, in addition to being a rapid strike force, I also warned what the totality of that posturing meant.
Klippenstein’s new report detailing how the military is preparing strike packages to be conducted inside Mexico, whether the U.S. intends to act unilaterally or in partnership with the Mexican government, is unclear. Regardless, this is yet another escalation that could inevitably lead to the U.S. trying to force its will on Latin America by demanding appeasement from countries that are currently balking more and more at U.S. influence.
With the agenda toward Latin America being renewed with a much more blatant Christian white nationalist tint, putting Hegseth in control of the military signals just how far they are willing to go to force their beliefs on other countries. With a media ecosystem that tends to use passive language in situations like this, it behooves everyone in the hemisphere to listen to what they say and, more importantly, what they do.
It appears the Trump White House has been preparing for full-scale war from day one.
Cuba
The United States has targeted Cuba’s medical missions, targeting the billions in revenue the program brings in for the cash-strapped nation each year. While the U.S. government has alleged since 2019 that the program amounts to forced labor, doctors who volunteer for the missions earn substantially more than their counterparts at home and in many cases are paid directly by the countries where they are working.
The United States also alleges that the medical missions deny Cubans healthcare at home; however, Cuba has more doctors per capita than any other country in the world, with 6.7 doctors per 1,000 people, while the United States has 2.8 for every 1000 people. Cubans also live longer than people in the U.S., with a life expectancy in Cuba of 79 years compared to 76 years in the United States. Despite the propaganda aimed at convincing countries to abandon the program and ignore their people’s needs, the U.S. has thus far failed to persuade anyone.
Now, under Trump, the U.S. began employing a new tactic: sanctioning world leaders who participate in working with Cuba to bring doctors to their poorest and most marginalized communities. This policy idea came from Republican anti-Cuban hardliner Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), who called for economic sanctions and tariffs on countries participating in Cuba’s medical missions, unconcerned about the harm it would cause to countries in need of help.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Miami Herald in April, Gimenez called the program “modern-day slavery” and referred to the program as the “human trafficking of Cuban doctors.” Trying to find credible reports that don’t echo U.S. propaganda is difficult. However, when Rubio publicly vilified specific world leaders, he clearly did not anticipate the backlash that arrogance would bring, highlighting why trust in the U.S. is on the decline in Latin America.
"Let us be clear, the Cuban doctors in Jamaica have been incredibly helpful to us,” said Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness in March. “We are, however, very careful not to exploit the Cuban doctors who are here. We ensure that they are treated within our labor laws and benefit like any other worker. So any characterization of the program by others certainly would not be applicable to Jamaica."
After announcing sanctions and later backing off on some Latin American and Caribbean Island leaders earlier this year, last week the Department of State announced sanctions on unspecified individuals, saying only, “African, Cuban, and Grenadian Government officials.” Later that day, it also announced sanctions on Brazil’s Mais Médicos program and former officials of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and their family members. The only people named in the announcements were Mozart, Julio Tabosa Sales, and Alberto Kleiman, who allegedly worked in Brazil’s Ministry of Health during the Mais Médicos program.
When considering how the U.S. government has weaponized oppression to make the Cuban people bow to their imperialist neighbor through starvation and economic suffering for more than 60 years, it takes a certain level of ignorance, inhumanity, and duplicity for high-ranking U.S. government officials to refer to the Cuban government as “slave masters.”
Cuba has over 20,000 doctors working in 50 countries, with a notable presence in impoverished urban and rural areas. Cuban doctors have been deployed to areas after natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in Haiti, and health emergencies like Ebola and COVID. They provide services when needed the most, and are typically received with open arms and celebration.
I’m an independent investigative journalist who enjoys digging deeper into the stories you see on the news. Find my work at Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, Latino Rebels, and more. I’m also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support my work, become a paid subscriber or donate via Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App.
The US elite thinks it is 1948. We won’t even have to wait for these glorious adventures to end badly cos that’s how they will begin.
This regime needs to cut the tough guy act. They've antagonized Canada, Japan, Mexico, Venezuela, the UK and others with threats. Then, the whole world watches Agent Orange validate a war criminal dictator, inviting him on US soil for a meeting, giving him a foot massage and rare earth mineral offers and getting nothing in return but a cancelled, uneaten romantic dinner.
Anyone wondering why the likes of Iran and others race to develop nukes, here's your answer. Over the past decades, US administrations appears to relish bullying other nations, up until they're nuclear armed, like Russia or N. Korea.