Gunboat diplomacy pressures Latin America
Los Angeles Times
|November 01, 2025
[Trump, from A1] please-Trump strategies, with mixed success. But Trump's transactional proclivities, mercurial outbursts and bullying nature make him a volatile negotiating partner.
-
SUPPORTERS of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro rally against U.S. military activity in the Caribbean.
(FEDERICO PARRA AFP/Getty Images)
"It's all put Latin America on edge," said Michael Shifter, past president of Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based research group. "It's bewildering and dizzying and, I think, disorienting for everyone. People don't know what's coming next."
In this supercharged update of U.S. gunboat diplomacy, critics say laws are being ignored, norms sidestepped and protocol set aside. The combative approach draws from some old standards: War on Drugs tactics, War on Terrorism rationales and Cold War saber-rattling.
Facilitating it all is the Trump administration's formal designation of cartels as terrorist groups, a first. The shift has provided oratorical firepower, along with a questionable legal rationale, for the deadly "narco-terrorist" boat strikes, now numbering 14, in both the Caribbean and Pacific.
"The Al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere," is how Pete Hegseth, Trump's Defense secretary, has labeled cartels, as he posts video game-esque footage of boats and their crews being blown to bits.
Lost is an essential distinction: Cartels, while homicidal, are driven by profits. Al Qaeda and other terror groups typically proclaim ideological motives.
Another aberration: Trump doesn't see the need to seek congressional approval for military action in Venezuela.
"I don't think we're necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war," Trump said. "I think we're just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. We're going to kill them. They're going to be, like, dead."
Trump's unpredictability has cowed many in the region. One of the few leaders pushing back is Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who, like Trump, has a habit of incendiary, off-the-cuff comments and social media posts.
Cette histoire est tirée de l'édition November 01, 2025 de Los Angeles Times.
Abonnez-vous à Magzter GOLD pour accéder à des milliers d'histoires premium sélectionnées et à plus de 9 000 magazines et journaux.
Déjà abonné ? Se connecter
PLUS D'HISTOIRES DE Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Winter rains fall, and so do the records
Another major storm is forecast, bringing threats of more flooding and slides.
5 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
As billionaires, will the Beyoncés and the Taylor Swifts stand up to tyranny?
The reluctance of the 1% to protect democracy has left many of us feeling hopeless
3 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Back from the dead, a legacy paper adopts startup mindset
It’s a rare, hopeful reversal for Santa Barbara. New editor calls it 'greatest role.'
3 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Why Japandi Is the Style Everyone Wants in 2026
For 2026, interior design is shifting from pure aesthetics to emotional well-being.
1 min
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Parting words of wisdom from the legendary investor Buffett
The advice that legendary investor Warren Buffett offered on investing and life over the years helped earn him legions of followers who eagerly read his annual letters and filled an arena in Omaha every year to listen to him at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meetings.
2 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Grandmother, boy killed in Gaza tent fire
A grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson burned to death in Gaza when their tent caught fire, as thousands of Palestinians battle harrowing winter conditions in flimsy makeshift housing and the humanitarian crisis persists.
3 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
UCLA’s Chesney rounds out his coaching staff
Bob Chesney's initial UCLA football staff is going to have a familiar feel to anyone who follows James Madison.
3 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
Faith leaders gird for year of tougher immigration issues
They offer support to anxious migrants who fear president’s wrath in their communities.
5 mins
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
‘Stranger Things’ series finale pulls estimated $25 million at box office
The finale of Netflix’s blockbuster series “Stranger Things” gave movie theaters a much needed jolt, generating an estimated $20 to $25 million at the box office, according to multiple reports.
1 min
January 03, 2026
Los Angeles Times
What we get from newspapers
Re “As newspapers fade, a useful physical object disappears too,” Dec. 29
4 mins
January 03, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size
