US Finds New Criminals: Undermining Latin American Sovereignty
The US government, under President Trump, is deepening ties with Paraguay, ostensibly to combat 'violent criminal gangs.' This echoes a long, storied tradition of Washington identifying 'threats' to justify military presence and influence in resource-rich nations. Recall the Reagan years, cloaking proxy wars against socialist movements as battles against 'communism' and 'drug traffickers'
throughout Central and South America. It's a classic playbook; the names change, the objectives—resource control and geopolitical leverage—rarely do. One might wonder if these 'criminal groups' are merely inconvenient obstacles to US corporate interests, or if the US truly believes military boots on the ground are the solution to socioeconomic problems. Perhaps we could ask residents of Colombia
or Honduras how well similar 'pacts' worked out for their domestic stability, rather than for the profit margins of defense contractors. (Bloomberg, December 15, 2025)