And his latest initiative there is all about military force too. “The heart of our agreement is a commitment to using lethal military force to destroy the sinister cartels and terrorist networks,” Trump said. We have to use our military,” Trump said. For Washington, the initiative is in keeping with the Trump corollary to the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which seeks to expand US influence over the western hemisphere. Trump is also seeking to reduce China’s influence in Latin America, where it has long since supplanted the US as the biggest trading partner.

Source: The Irish Times March 11, 2026 15:57 UTC