# US-Latin America geopolitical influence shifts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-latin-america-geopolitical-influence-shifts
> Updated: 2026-08-13T02:00:00.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Reports regarding Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House suggest a shift toward policies aimed at re-establishing United States hegemony in Latin America. This approach is characterized as a revival of the Monroe Doctrine, utilizing economic, diplomatic, and military pressure to treat the region as a sphere of influence.

Under the ‘America First’ slogan, this strategy seeks to restore American industrial greatness and dominance. Analysts suggest the platform may utilize economic measures similar to the 1985 Plaza Accord to counter international competitors and maintain hegemony in a multipolar world. Specific allegations include the initiation of measures against Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, involving large naval deployments and purported violations of international non-intervention commitments. Such actions, including the alleged kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, are noted as being in conflict with the United Nations Charter and the CELAC declaration of Latin America as a ‘zone of peace.’

This geopolitical shift has evolved into an active security strategy. The U.S. Department of State recently released a video asserting that ‘this hemisphere is ours,’ reinforcing American supremacy and framing the capture of Nicolás Maduro as a calculated maneuver. To operationalize this, the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) activated the Joint Task Force for the Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) to synchronize military operations and intelligence sharing. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced plans for ground attacks against cartels, noting operations are underway in Ecuador and authorized in Colombia. A planned demonstration of force involving B-52H Stratofortress bombers flying to Chile and Argentina was postponed due to a refueling aircraft technical failure.

## Claims

- The U.S. Department of State released a video reiterating the Monroe Doctrine and asserting U.S. dominance over the Western Hemisphere. (single source)
- The U.S. government presented the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a calculated maneuver. (single source)
- U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the start of ground attacks against cartels in the region. (single source)
- SOUTHCOM activated the Joint Task Force for the Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) to integrate intelligence and surveillance. (single source)
- A planned U.S. military demonstration involving B-52 bombers in Chile and Argentina was postponed due to a technical failure. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-13: United States asserts regional dominance via new security doctrines

The U.S. is intensifying its presence in Latin America through the Donroe Doctrine and a revitalized Monroe Doctrine, emphasizing military cooperation and intelligence sharing to assert regional dominance.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/donald-trump-seeks-to-revive-monroe-doctrine-influence-in-latin-america

### 2026-07-31: Donald Trump’s alleged 2025 return sparks claims of aggression in Latin America

Commentary alleges that in Jan 2025 Donald Trump returned to the White House and launched aggressive actions against Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and others, breaching the 2014 CELAC “zone of peace” commitments.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/donald-trumps-alleged-2025-return-sparks-claims-of-aggression-in-latin-america

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Cite as: US-Latin America geopolitical influence shifts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-latin-america-geopolitical-influence-shifts