Jorge Heine Examines Latin American Pushback to Trump Administration Defense Agenda
In a new article for Responsible Statecraft, former Pardee School Research Professor Jorge Heine argues that recent developments at the 17th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, reveal significant differences between Washington and Latin American governments on security and defense policy. Despite perceptions that the Trump administration has strengthened its influence across the hemisphere, Heine contends that the conference demonstrated that many countries in the region are not fully embracing what he describes as the administration’s revived Monroe Doctrine approach.
Heine focuses on remarks by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who called on Latin American nations to work more closely with Washington on organized crime, reduce the influence of “extra-hemispheric powers” such as China, and increase military spending. Colby described such criminal organizations as “the ISIS, the al-Qaeda of this Hemisphere” and argued that the U.S. would bring “all assets of the United States” to address these threats. According to Heine, these proposals reflect a broader effort by Washington to expand its security role in the region.
Heine notes that such concerns are shaped by a long history of U.S. interventions in Latin America. From Cold War-era military operations to more recent support for regime change and security initiatives as seen in Venezuela, Panama, and even at home in Miami, FL, and many other countries seeing a rise in right-wing leadership, often back by the Trump administration. These actions have left many governments wary of expanded American military involvement in regional affairs. Heine notes, “After Venezuela, Cuba would be the next domino to fall, then Nicaragua, and so on.” He also points to resistance against calls to limit ties with China. As Chilean Defense Minister Fernando Barros stated, “We are not part of a conflict that belongs to a different hemisphere.”
Heine concludes that while Latin America faces serious challenges related to organized crime and drug trafficking, regional leaders largely view these issues as matters for law enforcement, intelligence cooperation, and financial regulation rather than military intervention. The conference’s final declaration, he argues, suggests that “the imposition of U.S. military force in the region continues to elicit pushback” and challenges assumptions that Latin American governments are readily accepting Washington’s current hemispheric strategy.
The full piece can be read here.
A former research professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Jorge Heine is a diplomat, international relations scholar, and lawyer. He is currently a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute. He has served as an ambassador of Chile to China, India, and South Africa. Heine has written over fifteen books, including The Non-Aligned World: Striking Out in an Era of Great Power Competition (2025), which provides insights on how the Global South can navigate the changing diplomatic landscape amid the U.S.-China rivalry.