The Big Stories to watch this week in LATAM
US announces more military strikes in LATAM, mining Venezuelan rare earth minerals could lead serious conflict with AGs, and moderates lose big in Congressional elections in Colombia
Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit advocates for military actions in Latin America
One day after US forces assisted with a land strike on a compound in Ecuador allegedly used as a training facility for non-state armed group Comandos de la Frontera, US President Donald Trump launched his “Shield of the Americas” summit with right-wing leaders in the region. At the event, Trump stressed further military actions against organized crime groups, which he compared to terrorists. He also announced the creation of the “Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition,” a group of 12 signatory nations from Latin America and the Caribbean which signed a pledge to take aggressive measures against narcotrafficking.
“The only way to defeat these enemies is by unleashing the power of our military. So we have to use our military. You have to use your military,” Trump told the audience of Latin American leaders.
Trump promised further use of the US military in the region. “We’ll use missiles. If you want us to use a missile, they’re extremely accurate — pew! — right into the living room, and that’s the end of that cartel person,” Trump said.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has strongly advocated for the use of US military power in Ecuador since he assumed office in 2023.
The summit seems designed to normalize US military attacks in Latin America, such as those being carried out on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific oceans, which have now claimed at least 158 lives.
Combined with the ground strikes in Ecuador, the US is clearly ushering in a new age of violent military attacks in the region.
US wants Venezuelan gold and rare earth minerals
Both US officials and Venezuelan lawmakers have given a green light to gold extraction in the country by US private companies.
The US also removed sanctions on the Venezuelan state-owned mining company Minervan, which, in theory, will allow Venezuela to sell gold in US markets.
The decision follows high-level visits by US officials to Venezuela. Trump and other US officials have also spoken of mining rare earth minerals in Venezuela.
The US has been desperate to find viable new sources of rare earth minerals that are vital for industries ranging from defence to aerospace and artificial intelligence, including building precision-guided missiles, radars, sensors, and satellite systems.
China currently controls more than 90% of viable rare earth mineral deposits in the world, a situation that the US views as a security threat.
Mining the minerals in Venezuela, however, would be fraught with grave security risks. Many of the regions where mineral deposits lie are controlled by armed groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian left-wing rebel group that would resist any incursion into their territory vigorously.
The US is unlikely to put “boots on the ground” in southern Venezuela, and Venezuelan security forces are clearly not up to the task of a head-to-head fight with ELN. Will the US greenlight private military contractors in the fight?
What would that look like? This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to the crew at PWS, and for more reasons than we can count. This story bears close watching in the coming weeks and months.
Congressional elections in Colombia reflect growing polarization in the country
Moderate and centrist parties lost significantly in Congressional elections as left-wing far-right parties made big gains in Colombia’s elections on Sunday.
The change in the legislature occurs just before presidential elections in May, and will likely complicate incoming administration efforts, no matter who wins. An increased number of seats from radical parties makes compromise on any agenda much less likely and reflects growing polarization in the country, as the administration of Gustavo Petro, the first leftist president in Colombia’s history.
Our friends at Colombia Reports have all the details, including how this affects ongoing presidential primaries.
The other big headlines in LATAM
In addition to mining agreements, the US and Venezuela formally agreed to renew diplomatic ties this week. Venezuela’s diplomatic embassy in Washington was closed in 2019.
Ecuadorian troops seized a 35m-long ‘narco-sub’ hidden in a nature reserve near the Colombian border. They also found a camp nearby, which they said was being used by criminals as a logistics hub to prepare vessels for smuggling drugs.
At least 33 people have been injured in a nightclub bombing in the coastal town of Trujillo in northern Peru, with minors among those hurt in the explosion. Authorities say that the attack took place in the early morning hours on Saturday, with an explosion ripping through the club. The bombing is still being investigated.
Mexico will deploy 100,000 security personnel for the World Cup. Mexico, which hosts alongside the United States and Canada, will stage World Cup fixtures across three cities — including Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco, where the violence began last month, and more than 12,000 people are reported missing.
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Hasta pronto, piratas!
