President Donald Trump waves as he arrives on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-05T05:29:07Z MEXICO CITY (AP) In his celebratory news conference on the U.S. capture of Venezuelan strongman leader Nicols Maduro, President Donald Trump set out an extraordinarily forthright view of the use of U.S. power in Latin America that exposed political divisions from Mexico to Argentina as Trump-friendly leaders rise across the region.American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again, Trump proclaimed just hours before Maduro was perp-walked through the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New York.The scene marked a stunning culmination of months of escalation in Washingtons confrontation with Caracas that has reawakened memories of a past era of blatant U.S. interventionism in the region.Since assuming office less than a year ago and promptly renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America Trump has launched boat strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, ordered a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil exports and meddled in elections in Honduras and Argentina. Through a combination of tariffs, sanctions and military force, he has pressured Latin American leaders to advance his administrations goals of combating drug trafficking, halting immigration, securing strategic natural resources and countering the influence of Russia and China. The new, aggressive foreign policy which Trump now calls the Donroe Doctrine, in reference to 19th-century President James Monroes belief that the U.S. should dominate its sphere of influence has carved the hemisphere into allies and foes. The Trump administration in multiple different ways has been trying to reshape Latin American politics, said Gimena Sanchez, Andes director for the Washington Office on Latin America, a think tank. Theyre showing their teeth in the whole region. Reactions to US raid put regional divisions on displaySaturdays dramatic events including Trumps vow that Washington would run Venezuela and seize control of its oil sector galvanized opposite sides of the polarized continent.Argentine President Javier Milei, Trumps ideological soulmate, characterized one side as supporting democracy, the defense of life, freedom and property. On the other side, he added, are those accomplices of a narco-terrorist and bloody dictatorship that has been a cancer for our region.Other right-wing leaders in South America similarly seized on Maduros ouster to declare their ideological affinity with Trump. In Ecuador, conservative President Daniel Noboa issued a stern warning for all followers of Hugo Chvez, Maduros mentor and the founder of the Bolivarian revolution: Your structure will completely collapse across the entire continent.In Chile, where a presidential election last month marked by fears over Venezuelan immigration brought down the leftist government, far-right President-elect Jos Antonio Kast hailed the U.S. raid as great news for the region. But left-wing presidents in Latin America including Brazils Luiz Incio Lula da Silva, Mexicos Claudia Sheinbaum, Chiles Gabriel Boric and Colombias Gustavo Petro expressed grave concerns over what they saw as U.S. bullying. Lula said the raid set an extremely dangerous precedent. Sheinbaum warned it jeopardizes regional stability. Boric said it violated an essential pillar of international law. Petro called it aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America. Trump has previously punished or threatened all four leaders for failing to fall in line with his demands, while boosting and bailing out allies who show loyalty.The attack recalls a painful history of US interventionFor Lula among the last surviving icons of the so-called pink tide, the leftist leaders who dominated Latin American politics from the turn of the 21st century Trumps military action in Venezuela recalls the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America.Those moments range from American troops occupying Central American and Caribbean nations to promote the interests of U.S. companies like Chiquita in the early 1900s to Washington supporting repressive military dictatorships in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to fend off Soviet influence in the 1970s. The historical echoes in Maduros downfall fueled not only harsh condemnations and street protests among Trumps left-wing opponents but also uneasy responses from some of his close allies.Usually effusive in his support for Trump, President Nayib Bukele was oddly quiet in El Salvador, a nation still scarred by a brutal civil war between a repressive U.S.-allied government and leftist guerillas. He posted a meme mocking Maduro after his capture Saturday, but expressed none of the jubilation seen from regional counterparts. In Bolivia, where old anti-American dogmas die hard due to memories of the bloody U.S.-backed war on drugs, new conservative President Rodrigo Paz praised Maduros removal insomuch as it fulfilled the true popular will of Venezuelans who tried to vote the autocrat out of office in a 2024 election widely seen as fraudulent. Bolivia reaffirms that the way out for Venezuela is to respect the vote, Paz said.His message didnt age well. Hours later, Trump announced he would work with Maduros loyalist vice president, Delcy Rodrguez, rather than the opposition that prevailed in the 2024 election.The Trump administration, it appears at this point, is making decisions about the democratic future of Venezuela without referring back to the democratic result, said Kevin Whitaker, former deputy chief of mission for the State Department in Caracas.When asked Sunday about when Venezuela will hold democratic elections, Trump responded: I think were looking more at getting it fixed.As the right rises, Trump puts enemies on noticeThe Trump administrations attack on Venezuela extends its broader crusade to assemble a column of allied or at least acquiescent governments in Latin America, sailing with the political winds blowing in much of the region. Recent presidential elections from Chile to Honduras have elevated tough, Trump-like leaders who oppose immigration, prioritize security and promise a return to better, bygone eras free of globalization and wokeness. The president is going to be looking for allied and partner nations in the hemisphere who share his kind of broader ideological affinity, said Alexander Gray, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington research institute.Those who dont share that ideology were put on notice this weekend. Trump said Cubas Communist government looks like its ready to fall. He slammed Sheinbaums failure to root out Mexican cartels, saying that somethings going to have to be done with Mexico. He repeated allegations that Petro likes making cocaine and warned that hes not going to be doing it very long. Were in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful, where the oil is allowed to really come out, he told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. Its our hemisphere.___DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Associated Press writers Maria Verza in Mexico City and Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One contributed to this report. ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto MEGAN JANETSKY Megan Janetsky covers migration, conflict, human rights and politics in Mexico and Central America for The AP based in Mexico City. Previously, she covered Cuba and the Caribbean for The AP and worked as freelance journalist in Colombia, reporting across South America. twitter instagram facebook mailto