Region on edge as Trump pressures neighbors | JQJO

The Trump administration has recast U.S. policy in Latin America as a stark, with-us-or-against-us campaign, mixing threats and favors. It designated cartels as terrorists and carried out 14 deadly boat strikes at sea, raised the prospect of military action in Venezuela and drone strikes in Mexico, and threatened tariffs from Brazil to Mexico. Critics warn of extrajudicial killings and eroded norms. A clash with Colombia’s Gustavo Petro brought sanctions, even as allies like Argentina’s Javier Milei and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele receive cash and praise. Across the region, leaders brace for abrupt shifts.