The new national security strategy announced by the White House highlights that there are urgent issues that compromise US global hegemony. According to the released document, Trump emphasizes Latin America, highlighting issues such as ending illegal immigration, repressing the advance of drug trafficking, and improving relations with his ideological allies and trading partners.
Donald Trump’s second term has been marked by decisions and disputes that have generated criticism from international organizations regarding the legal limits of these operations and intense criticism from Latin American countries.
The international relations expert interviewed, Laís Vieira, opens that the measures adopted by the United States’ President can be interpreted as a strategy of coercion to maintain US hegemony in Latin America. As she argues, “The use of trade tariffs, economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure is not merely about cooperation, but about mechanisms that seek to influence the decisions of other countries through political pressure.” According to Vieira, by prioritizing American national interests and demanding greater political and economic alignment, this foreign policy contributes to maintaining US regional leadership.
Since April 2025, three months after reassuming the US presidency, the American government has adopted a series of controversial measures, such as large-scale tariff increases, affecting Latin American countries. Brazil, for example, was hit by additional tariffs totaling 50%, affecting mainly products such as unroasted coffee, civil engineering installations and equipment, beef and other construction materials, following Trump’s allegations about the Brazilian political system and impositions attempts aligned with the American logic.
Another defining factor of his administration is his actions justified under national security claims, with a focus on countries concentrated in the southern part of the American continent. Back in August, Trump ordered an operation to surround Venezuela, again under the pretext of combating international drug trafficking. Between September and December 31, 2025, US military forces bombed vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, alleging suspected drug trafficking. Four months later, an operation was launched into Venezuelan territory, which ended with the capture of dictator president Nicolás Maduro
In recent months, the president has also expressed interest in taking over Greenland, a territory of Denmark. He stated that the island is strategic for US national security and, as in the case of Venezuela, he would not rule out the use of military force if necessary.
All these episodes have generated international reactions and criticism, especially from Latin America, which now sees itself under possible attack from a major neighboring power.
Donald Trump: From National Security Claims to Nationalist Policies
With the aim of reaffirming its influence in the region and protecting it against the advance of powers from other continents, Donald Trump revived a foreign policy called the Monroe Doctrine, known for its slogan “America for the Americans,” which advocated non-interference by European powers in American territories. However, when updated to what has been referred to as the “Monroe Doctrine,” its focus shifts from Europe to China, now perceived as the United States’ main ideological and economic rival.
As China consolidates itself as the primary trading partner of several South American countries, including Brazil, Chile and Peru, and expands its investments in infrastructure across the region, Washington increasingly frames Beijing’s presence as a strategic threat.
In response, the US government announced the tariff increase as a measure to try to restrain the political conciliation and economic agreements of its neighbors with China.
The White House also expanded the US military presence in Latin America, arguing that the region is linked to key security challenges facing the country. The stated goal is to combat cross-border crimes. Défis Humanitaires reported that Trump warned that a lack of cooperation could lead to the use of force, declaring that “force is the best deterrent.” The statement has raised concerns, particularly given past instances in which similar rhetoric was used to pressure regional governments over strategic projects, including matters related to the Panama Canal.
In this scenario, the stance adopted by the United States can be interpreted as a return to imperialist logic, specifically in Latin America. By treating the region as a problematic area, it reinforces a hierarchical position in relation to Latin American countries, thus justifying political and economic interventions whenever its interests are threatened.
This imperialist logic and intimidating posture is also manifested in Trump’s discourse regarding Latin American countries, treating them as economically fragile, dependent, and in a subordinate position. As reported by Politico, the president stated that “we don’t need them, they need us,” a remark that makes explicit a vision of dependence in which the US positions itself as an indispensable power and other countries as incapable of developing economically and politically in its absence.
Threats Over Sovereignty and Cultural Relations
Donald Trump’s actions in Latin America reveal a strategy to expand the political and economic influence of the United States over the region. However, this stance may go beyond simple commercial alignment and reach a logic of power imposition, in which American interests are prioritized. By adopting this position, the president disregards the political and cultural characteristics of Latin American, which challenges concepts such as autonomy and sovereignty.
The convening of a summit outlines Trump’s intention to interfere in the political actions of countries, thus attempting to frustrate the plan devised by Xi Jinping, who claims they should deny access to their countries’ natural resources and maritime routes in the region. To this end, the American president invited the presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, El Salvador and others —all ideologically aligned with Trump. This reveals a strategy of consolidating a network of regional allies, aiming to destabilize China’s influence and secure control of strategic natural resources and trade routes for himself.
According to Laís Vieira, this type of pressure can generate structural risks for the region, such as increased economic dependence and limited diplomatic autonomy. The expert also warns that sudden changes in tariffs and trade agreements can cause instability and affect economic growth, as well as expand the strategic influence of the United States through security agreements. She believes that such pressure can also divide Latin American countries themselves, weakening the region’s capacity for joint action on the international stage.
Beyond tariffs, diplomatic threats and policy impositions, the president has also used language described as discriminatory, targeting identities and cultures in Latin America. Through a series of remarks, according to Publica, he referred to the region as the White House’s “backyard” placing it in a position of subordination. In a separate statement, according to NBC News, he said “No, they’re not humans. They’re animals.”
Potential Impacts and What to Expect from Donald Trump’s Future Actions Towards Brazil
Brazil is entering a sensitive period ahead of the 2026 presidential election. The ideological divergence between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump becomes particularly relevant as Lula seeks re-election.
The White House said the measures responded to alleged political persecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro and to Brazil’s regulation of digital platforms, including decisions by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes involving Elon Musk’s social network, X. The tariffs reduced the competitiveness of Brazilian goods in the U.S. market, lowered export volumes, and led to layoffs in affected sectors. In response, BBC reported that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that “Brazil is a sovereign country, with independent institutions, and will not accept external tutelage.”
With Brazil’s elections approaching, the intersection between external political pressure and domestic democratic become even more relevant, raising questions about institutional autonomy and foreign influence.
Latin America: Regional Fragmentation and the Challenges of Integration
The need for unity among Latin American nations becomes evident. As Laís Vieira states, “Together, countries have more negotiating power, reduce external dependencies, and better defend their interests.” According to her, regional cooperation increases Latin America’s autonomy and leadership on the international stage, in addition to reducing economic vulnerabilities, strengthening intra-regional trade, and enabling joint strategies in areas such as the environment, infrastructure, and security. For the expert, integration also strengthens collective sovereignty, as it allows the region to have its own voice in global disputes.
Economic Block Initiatives such as the Southern Common Market (Mercosul) are paramount instruments of regional integration and unity. However, they still need greater institutional strengthening, international visibility, bargain power, and above all, a more solid commitment to cooperation among their member states in order to consolidate themselves as more influential actors on the global economic and political stage.In other words, faced with external pressures, unity emerges as an essential element to avoid the political, economic, and cultural eradication of Latin America.
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The article above was edited by Mariana De Oliver.
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