MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� In his celebratory news conference on leader Nicol谩s Maduro, set out an extraordinarily forthright view of the use of U.S. power in Latin America that exposed political divisions from Mexico to Argentina as across the region.
鈥淎merican dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump proclaimed just hours before Maduro was of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New York.
The scene marked a stunning culmination of months of escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Caracas that has reawakened memories of a in the region.
Since assuming office less than a year ago 鈥� and promptly renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America 鈥� Trump has launched boat in the Caribbean, on Venezuelan oil exports and meddled in elections in and .
Through a combination of , sanctions and , he has pressured Latin American leaders to advance his administration鈥檚 goals of , , securing and countering the influence of Russia and China.
The new, aggressive foreign policy 鈥� which Trump the 鈥淒onroe Doctrine,” in reference to 19th-century President that the U.S. should dominate its sphere of influence 鈥� has carved the hemisphere into allies and foes.
鈥淭he Trump administration in multiple different ways has been trying to reshape Latin American politics,鈥� said Gimena Sanchez, Andes director for the Washington Office on Latin America, a think tank. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e showing their teeth in the whole region.”
Reactions to US raid put regional divisions on display
Saturday’s dramatic events 鈥� including Trump鈥檚 vow that and seize control of its oil sector 鈥� galvanized opposite sides of the polarized continent.
Javier Milei, , characterized one side as supporting 鈥渄emocracy, the defense of life, freedom and property.鈥�
鈥淥n the other side,” he added, 鈥渁re those accomplices of a narco-terrorist and bloody dictatorship that has been a cancer for our region.鈥�
Other right-wing leaders in South America similarly seized on Maduro’s ouster to declare their ideological affinity with Trump.
In Ecuador, issued a stern warning for all followers of , Maduro鈥檚 mentor and the founder of the Bolivarian revolution: 鈥淵our structure will completely collapse across the entire continent.”
In Chile, where a presidential marked by brought down the leftist government, far-right President-elect Jos茅 Antonio Kast hailed the U.S. raid as 鈥済reat news for the region.”
But left-wing presidents in Latin America 鈥� including , , and Colombia’s 鈥� expressed grave concerns over what they saw as U.S. bullying.
Lula said the raid set 鈥渁n extremely dangerous precedent.鈥� Sheinbaum warned it 鈥渏eopardizes regional stability.鈥� Boric said it 鈥渧iolated an essential pillar of international law.鈥� Petro called it 鈥渁ggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America.鈥�
Trump has or all four leaders for failing to fall in line with his demands, while and who show loyalty.
The attack recalls a painful history of US intervention
For Lula 鈥� among the last surviving icons of the the leftist leaders who dominated Latin American politics from the turn of the 21st century 鈥� Trump’s military action in Venezuela 鈥渞ecalls the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America.鈥�
Those moments range from American troops occupying Central American and Caribbean nations to promote the interests of in the early 1900s to Washington in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to fend off Soviet influence in the 1970s.
in Maduro’s downfall fueled not only harsh condemnations and among Trump’s left-wing opponents but also uneasy responses from some of his close allies.
, was oddly quiet in El Salvador, a nation still scarred by a brutal civil war between a repressive U.S.-allied government and leftist guerillas. He posted a meme mocking Maduro after his capture Saturday, but expressed none of the jubilation seen from regional counterparts.
In Bolivia, where die hard due to memories of the bloody U.S.-backed war on drugs, new conservative praised Maduro鈥檚 removal insomuch as it fulfilled 鈥渢he true popular will鈥� of Venezuelans who tried to vote the autocrat out of office in a 2024 .
鈥淏olivia reaffirms that the way out for Venezuela is to respect the vote,鈥� Paz said.
His message didn’t age well. Hours later, Trump announced he would work with vice president, Delcy Rodr铆guez, rather than the opposition that .
鈥淭he Trump administration, it appears at this point, is making decisions about the democratic future of Venezuela without referring back to the democratic result,” said Kevin Whitaker, former deputy chief of mission for the State Department in Caracas.
When asked Sunday about when Venezuela will hold democratic elections, Trump responded: 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e looking more at getting it fixed.鈥�
As the right rises, Trump puts enemies on notice
The Trump administration鈥檚 attack on Venezuela extends its broader crusade to assemble a column of allied 鈥� or at least acquiescent 鈥� governments in Latin America, sailing with the political winds blowing in much of the region.
Recent presidential elections from to have tough, Trump-like leaders who oppose immigration, prioritize security and promise a return to better, bygone eras free of globalization and 鈥渨okeness.鈥�
鈥淭he president is going to be looking for allied and partner nations in the hemisphere who share his kind of broader ideological affinity,鈥� said Alexander Gray, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington research institute.
Those who don’t share that ideology were put on notice this weekend. Trump said Cuba鈥檚 Communist government 鈥渓ooks like it鈥檚 ready to fall.鈥� He slammed Sheinbaum鈥檚 , saying that 鈥渟omething鈥檚 going to have to be done with Mexico.鈥� He repeated allegations that Petro 鈥渓ikes making cocaine鈥� and warned that 鈥渉e’s not going to be doing it very long.”
鈥淲e鈥檙e in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful, where the oil is allowed to really come out,” he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. 鈥淚t’s our hemisphere.鈥�
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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writers Maria Verza in Mexico City and Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.
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