US Militarization of Latin America is Expanding at Breakneck Speed

By Héctor Bernardo – Jan 1, 2026

While the threat against Venezuela persists with the presence of aircraft carriers and troops in the Caribbean Sea, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth are busy finalizing agreements to send marines to Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic. We sought the opinion of Telma Luzzani, researcher and author of the book Monitored Territories.

The corollary with which President Donald Trump updated the Monroe Doctrine takes different forms. Strategies that mutate, but that pursue the same goal: to regain control of the territory that the United States has always considered its “backyard” and to control the natural resources that are currently in dispute with other major powers.

One of the forms the Trump Corollary has taken involves increasing the US military presence in Latin America and the Caribbean. The pretext: the fight against the current enemy, “narco-terrorism.” Those in charge of carrying out this strategy: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense (or War) Pete Hegseth.

In addition to the well-known threat against Venezuela, with the largest military deployment that Washington has ever made in the region, the presence of an aircraft carrier, troops, and even a nuclear submarine, there is the deployment of marines to Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader. Photo from the official website of the Dominican Republic Presidency.

Dominican Republic
On November 26, during his visit to the Dominican Republic, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked President Luis Abinader for supporting a “temporary agreement” that allows the United States to deploy troops on Dominican soil. Hegseth stated that this is “a great collaboration and, truly, a joint effort between our two countries against drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.”

Along the same lines, President Abinader asserted that there is “a threat that recognizes no borders, that does not distinguish flags, that destroys families, and that has tried to use our territory as a route. That threat is drug trafficking, and no country can, nor should, confront it without allies.”

According to a statement from the official website of the Dominican Republic’s Presidency, “The United States Southern Command and Air Force will provide refueling and airlift aircraft to support counter-narcotics operations, including Operation Southern Spear, announced by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on November 13, which also combats illicit arms trafficking.”

“This collaboration aims to disrupt illicit operations by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), identified by the United States on various routes spanning the entire Caribbean Sea,” the text adds.

It is also noted that “there will be a presence of several KC-135 tanker aircraft in support of air patrol missions, expanding monitoring and interdiction capabilities over a large part of the maritime and air domains, and will provide refueling services to aircraft of partner countries, thus ensuring sustained operations of monitoring, detection and tracking of verified illicit smuggling activities.”

“Additionally, the C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft will facilitate aeromedical evacuations, firefighting, meteorological reconnaissance, and disaster relief,” the official text states.

Trinidad and Tobago
A few days later, on November 29, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian website, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar confirmed that the United States had installed “a new radar to monitor activities inside and outside of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The radar was located at the ANR Robinson International Airport, a few kilometers from the Venezuelan coast.

According to the Zona Militar website, “Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago recently confirmed that the US. Marine Corps is reinforcing its local presence with the deployment of an AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR radar. This assistance is part of an agreement between the two countries to increase surveillance capabilities against illegal flights directly linked to narco-terrorist organizations and the growing tension with Venezuela.”

According to reports, Marines from the 22nd Expeditionary Unit, who were on the island for joint exercises in mid-November, remain in Trinidad. The website highlights that “in addition to the ground component, the Marines have air assets such as helicopters and fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II fighter jets, as well as amphibious assets from the US Navy and aircraft from the Air Force.”
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State. Official photo from the Department of State.

Peru
On December 5, the government of Peru reported that “the Plenary of the Congress of the Republic approved, by majority (73 votes in favor, 25 votes against and 2 abstentions), Legislative Resolution 13436/2025-CR, authorizing the entry of foreign military personnel with weapons of war into the territory of the Republic of Peru.”

The statement emphasizes that “the military personnel of the United States Department of Defense, specified in its first article, will enter national territory with weapons of war from January 1 to December 31, 2026,” that is, for one year.

“The institutions involved are: Joint Special Operations and Intelligence Command (CIOEC); Joint Special Force (FEC) and Special Operations Forces (FOES) of the Navy; Special Forces Group (GRUFE) of the Peruvian Air Force; 1st, 3rd, and 6th Special Forces Brigades of the Peruvian Army and National Police of Peru (DIROPESP, DIRANDRO, GRECCO),” the official information states.

Paraguay
Just nine days later, on December 14, an official statement from the United States Embassy in Paraguay announced that “Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano to sign a Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement between the United States and Paraguay.”

“The historic agreement establishes a clear framework for the presence and activities of the US Department of War military and civilian personnel in Paraguay, facilitating bilateral and multinational training, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and other common security interests,” the text states.

It is noted that “Secretary Rubio emphasized that the SOFA reflects the United States’ commitment to coordinate closely with Paraguay on regional security and the growing importance of Paraguay as a regional leader and defender of security in our hemisphere.”

“The agreement strengthens a long-standing partnership and supports our shared priorities. Both officials expressed their confidence that the agreement will strengthen the sovereignty of both countries and enhance our cooperation to achieve greater stability and prosperity in the region,” the text concludes.
Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Official website of the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry.

Ecuador
Three days later, on December 17, the US embassy in Ecuador posted a welcome message on social media to the US troops arriving in that territory.

In a text beginning in a confusing manner, saying that “the United States welcomes United States Air Force personnel for a temporary operation with the Ecuadorian Air Force in Manta.”

“This short-term joint effort is part of our long-term bilateral security strategy, in line with current agreements under Ecuadorian law,” it added.

The post concludes that “the operation will enhance the Ecuadorian military’s ability to combat narco-terrorists, including strengthening intelligence gathering and counter-narcotics capabilities, and is designed to protect the United States and Ecuador from shared threats.”

On the same day, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa also posted on X that “with the support of the United States, we have activated a temporary operation in Manta with the Ecuadorian Air Force, as part of a long-term bilateral security strategy. This operation will allow us to identify and dismantle drug trafficking routes and bring to justice those who thought they could take over the country.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa. Photo from the official website of the Government of Ecuador.

Advanced militarization with a history
Regarding Washington’s new military redeployment in the region, PIA-GLOBAL spoke with Telma Luzzani, a journalist, researcher, and author of the book Monitored Territories: How the Network of North American Military Bases Operates in South America.

Luzzani pointed out: “In one way or another, the United States, at this stage—a stage of hegemonic decline—is seeking to militarize its security zone, its vital platform, through which it was historically able to expand and become the world’s leading power. It does so with subservient governments, like those of Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina. It does so explicitly by directly announcing the arrival of Marines who will control absolutely everything in those countries and in the region. It does so explicitly and obviously, with the acquiescence of puppet or subservient governments.”

“However, it also does so in a different way with governments that maintain a sovereign stance. That is why the Caribbean Sea is militarized today, why supposed drug-trafficking vessels—which are actually fishing boats, as has been proven on more than one occasion—are bombed in the Pacific, and why, in my opinion, it seeks to implement a kind of pincer movement against Brazil from the north and from Argentina in the south. Brazil, let us remember, is a BRICS country. Therefore, it is fundamental to this stage of the United States’ strategy. One of its main objectives is the destabilization of BRICS,” she emphasized.

Luzzani recalled that “the strategy has always been one of absolute domination and militarization of our countries. There was a period during the Cold War when our governments were military governments. Under the pretext of the Soviet threat or the threat of communism, the aim was to militarize our region, our Latin America, through military governments. In fact, the United States specifically had the School of the Americas in Panama to train military personnel in this way. That is to say, it did not do it directly as it does now, but through the armed forces of the various South American or Latin American countries.”

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“In the post-Cold War era, in 1991, General Powell, for example, was very explicit regarding the role the United States wanted for Latin American militaries. He said that in the plan the United States had drawn up at that time, the Latin American Armed Forces ‘should maintain only those military capabilities necessary for self-defense, for combating drug trafficking, natural disasters, and for safeguarding peace in accordance with the laws and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the OAS.’ This was stated by Colin Powell under the presidency of George H.W. Bush in 1991.”

The analyst stated that “today, with Donald Trump, that framework is explicitly violated. The Charters of the United Nations and the OAS are irrelevant. Donald Trump has set his own rules, which are very clearly stipulated in the National Security Strategy, where the first region he refers to is ours, recognizing it as a primary area, and where he outlines a significant reform at the Pentagon.”

“A few months ago, Trump held a meeting at the Quantico military base, where American generals, who came from all over the world, were given new instructions, not only regarding other nations, but also regarding a supposed internal enemy in the United States. This speaks to a significant change in US military policy,” he asserted.

Luzzani pointed out that “in this new phase, we have a significant change within the Pentagon, a new foreign policy expressed in the National Security Strategy, and specifically, actions in our region. In Argentina, the military base in Ushuaia is a crucial point due to its easy access to Antarctica. Paraguay has historically been occupied by US armed forces at their bases. Peru is of great concern to the United States because it is home to the port of Chancay, where China has a strong presence. Ecuador is also a concern, with its renewed attempts to remilitarize Manta and the Galapagos Islands, dismissing a referendum in which Ecuadorians voted against the installation of foreign bases on their territory. Added to this are the military actions being carried out against Venezuela and the harassment of Gustavo Petro.”

“It is important to remember that Colombia, until the arrival of President Gustavo Petro, always had right-wing governments that were completely subservient to the United States. In fact, the United States considered Colombia its most important strategic point in South America. There, with Plan Colombia, they even managed to control a large part of the region, especially in relation to Central America to the north and South America to the south, including the Amazon. Furthermore, Colombia is a country rich in oil, so that was also a fundamental interest for the US,” the analyst concluded.

Hector Bernardo: Journalist, writer, and professor of Introduction to Contemporary Social and Political Thought – Faculty of Journalism and Social Communication – UNLP. Member of the PIA Global team.

(Internationalist 360°)