After killing hundreds in boat strikes, US military expands campaign on land in Latin America
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hundreds of people have been killed in the year since the U.S. military began bombing boats it accused of ferrying drugs off Latin America’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Now, the Trump administration says it…
Hundreds of civilians have perished in the year since the U.S. military commenced bombing boats suspected of drug smuggling off Latin America's Caribbean and Pacific coastlines. The Trump administration now aims to broaden this lethal campaign onto land, engaging in discussions to establish U.S. military presence in allied nations throughout the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared during a visit to Panama that Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras had consented to allow U.S. forces to engage in joint military operations against criminal organizations on their territories, following Ecuador's initiation of similar missions with the U.S. in March. Guatemala, however, has denied reaching such an accord.
Hegseth likened the proposed land operations to the strikes on drug boats, stating that the effect would be "the same." The expansion signifies a fresh phase in the Trump administration's strategy to compel Latin American governments to align with its security objectives and assert what it terms "American dominance over the Western Hemisphere."
As voters in the region gravitate towards Trump-aligned leaders, Washington gains more willing partners. However, critics caution that the expansion of the U.S. military campaign may heighten civilian casualties and engender a backlash against the U.S. that could endure beyond the Republican administration. According to Michael Shifter, a Latin America analyst at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, "What's unfolding is an effort to legitimize the heightened use of U.S. military in the region.
It projects power, showcases military superiority, and permits Washington to impose its agenda. This is not cooperation; it's evidently a highly asymmetrical relationship."
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
