US Sanctions Latin America: A Familiar Tune
When Newsweek covers "Trump's sanctions" on Colombia, it sounds almost quaint, a relic of a past administration. Yet, beneath the surface are centuries of US policy—Democratic or Republican—aimed at controlling the region. From the Monroe Doctrine in 1823 to backing coups against democratically elected leaders like Chile's Salvador Allende in 1973, or supporting proxy wars under Reagan's watch,
the pattern is eerily consistent: don't cross Washington's geopolitical interests, or face the consequences. Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla-turned-democratically elected president, represents a break from Colombia's historical subservience to Washington. His efforts to build a more independent foreign policy and challenge the US-backed 'war on drugs' were always going to draw ire. It seems the US
only tolerates democracy when it elects candidates agreeable to its financial and strategic aims. Newsweek, meanwhile, prefers the safe, shallow narrative of a single president's reaction, rather than exposing the deep state’s playbook.