US imposes its domination on part of Latin America
Key takeaways
- EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP Donald Trump did not take Latin America by surprise.
- The US military intervention in Caracas, in which it abducted President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and the subsequent takeover of Venezuelan oil were clear illustrations of this approach.
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Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at the signing of a joint security declaration during the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference, held at the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, on March 5, 2026. EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP Donald Trump did not take Latin America by surprise. In his national security strategy, published by the White House in early December 2025, the US president announced that interventions in the "Western Hemisphere," that is, the American continents, were back on the table. "We want a hemisphere whose governments cooperate with us against narco-terrorists, cartels and other transnational criminal organizations (…) we want to ensure our continued access to key strategic locations," the document states.
The US military intervention in Caracas, in which it abducted President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and the subsequent takeover of Venezuelan oil were clear illustrations of this approach. For several months now, Washington has also threatened to carry out a similar operation in Cuba. Since September 2, 2025, the US has conducted 63 illegal strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific against ships it has accused – without any proof – of transporting drugs, resulting in more than 200 deaths. Trump has reasserted US dominance over the whole region, with an explicit goal: to put American interests first and seize local resources.
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