Trump’s New Imperialist Offensive in Latin America: Electoral and Military Threats

Original article: La nueva ofensiva imperialista de Trump en América Latina: Amenazas electorales y militares

In an intensified application of the «Monroe Doctrine» that has historically characterized Washington, the Trump administration has launched a continental offensive threatening the sovereignty of our peoples.

Under the guise of «defending freedom,» the U.S. government is executing a coordinated strategy to deepen the colonization of Latin America through economic coercion, political interference, blatant diplomatic pressure, and even threats of military intervention.

Much like the darkest days of imperialism, Trump is treating the region as a backyard where he can impose friendly governments and overthrow those that resist.

Argentina: Coercion Disguised as Aid

The midterm elections in Argentina for the renewal of part of the National Congress in October 2025 were influenced by direct intervention from Donald Trump, who indicated that they would provide $20 billion via swap and another $20 billion as loans from financial institutions, only if Javier Milei won.

This financial coercion reveals how international financial capital uses debt as a tool for political domination, subordinating national economies to Washington’s interests while deepening neocolonial dependence, a fact ratified by the 40% of voters who supported Milei, many out of fear of a new default.

Honduras: Release of a Drug Trafficking Ex-President and Threats to End Economic Aid

In Honduras, the Trump administration showcases its characteristic double standards: while announcing a pardon for former president Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), who was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking, it maintains the militarization of the Caribbean under the pretext of combating that very scourge.

At the same time, Trump openly intervenes in Honduran elections by supporting National Party candidate Nasry Asfura (the same party as JOH) and threatening to cut financial aid if he does not win. This contradiction exposes that the «war on drugs» is merely a theater to justify American military presence while protecting drug traffickers who serve its geopolitical interests.

Chile: Diplomacy of Intimidation

The recent diplomatic incident in Chile, where Ambassador Brandon Judd openly stated he would work better with right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast, represents a flagrant violation of the non-intervention principle governing international law. The Chilean government’s formal protest evidences that, for the Trump administration, diplomacy is not a tool for relations between sovereign states but a mechanism for pressuring governments into alignment.

So far, Donald Trump has not directly commented on the elections, but he may do so just as he did with Honduras and Argentina.

Pattern of Continental Domination

These seemingly isolated episodes correspond to a coherent pattern of imperialist domination seeking to reverse the progressive advancements of the past decade in the region. The systematic attack against leaders like Gustavo Petro and Nicolás Maduro—falsely labeled as «drug traffickers»—follows the same logic: criminalizing political dissent and justifying destabilizing actions against governments resisting American hegemony. Moreover, in Venezuela’s case, they are even willing to conduct military intervention.

Towards a Popular Counteroffensive

In the face of this reactionary offensive, the peoples of Latin America must respond with unity and internationalist solidarity. Resistance to imperialism should be articulated through social movements and grassroots organizations that understand that the defense of national sovereignty and the self-determination of peoples is inseparable from social emancipation.

Sovereignty is not negotiable; it is defended through the conscious mobilization of the people. In this new cycle of anti-imperialist struggle, it is up to the Latin American peoples to write the next chapter of their liberation, building from the ground up the great homeland we need.

El Ciudadano