The US wants to expand 'war on drugs' to mainland Latin

The US wants to expand 'war on drugs' to mainland Latin America The United States is increasingly getting involved in the anti-drug war in several Latin American countries. It began in 2025 with attacks on alleged drug boats at sea. Now the fight against drugs is moving to the mainland in Latin America. Hundreds of soldiers are sent these days, initially to Panama, Colombia, and Honduras. The Americans hold joint exercises with the military in these countries. American special units also provide support and advice to military units in Latin America that carry out operations against drug traffickers. The cooperation stems from the establishment of the so-called Shields of the Americas. This is a regional body that was established earlier this year by US President Trump and to which nineteen countries in Latin America have since joined. The goal is to jointly tackle the fight against drugs and work more closely on security issues in the region. Trump urges leaders across the region to take harder military action against human trafficking groups and allow joint operations with the United States. Scroll to the right Trump made clear at the last UN General Assembly that it is about more than just security. It is also about economic cooperation and the "securing of resources in the region," as he expressed it. Many countries in this region have shifted to the right in recent elections and are now ideologically close to Trump. He has repeatedly indicated that he prefers Latin America within his sphere of influence. The economic power of China, which has grown significantly in Latin America in recent years, is a thorn in Trump's side, and he wants to push it back. With the arrival of American soldiers in Colombia, the radical-right president De la Espriella, who came to power in August, wants to fulfill his election promise: a tough approach to drug cartels to create a safer country. Combat drones Colombia is the world's largest cocaine producer and is plagued by drug cartels. Between 2000 and 2015, there was already a close cooperation between the US and Colombia and a military aid plan, the so-called Plan Colombia. The US now wants to deploy very advanced equipment in addition to 600 soldiers. Special combat drones are being moved from Africa to Latin America to carry out precision attacks on, for example, cartel leaders. Population divided The population of the Latin American countries is divided over the arrival of the American soldiers. There were already trainings by American soldiers in Ecuador. There are also plans to reopen an American base in the country, which was previously closed. This met with fierce resistance from the population and the opposition. In a referendum on the possible reopening of the American base, the majority of Ecuadorians voted against the plans. The presence of American soldiers in Latin America is also sensitive due to the past of many countries in this region. In the 1960s and 1980s, military dictatorships were in power in many countries in Latin America. Bloody regimes in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Chile were helped by the US, which wanted to prevent left-wing governments from being elected there. Alleged drug boats For a long time, human rights organizations have warned about the attacks on the alleged drug boats at sea. They have already cost the lives of more than 200 people since last year. The US does not provide evidence that these are actually boats of drug smugglers. Furthermore, these attacks are contrary to international law according to legal experts. The expansion of the US from attacks at sea to attacks on land is therefore closely watched by human rights organizations. They are afraid that the growing military presence of the US in Latin America endangers the citizens of these countries. In addition, there is the question of whether killing cartel members really helps against drug trafficking, as members are quickly replaced.