Trump is treating a hemispheric war like street crime
President Donald Trump’s Latin America policy fails because Washington misclassifies existential threats, treating regional slaughter as street crime instead of global war. Both the Pentagon and the State Department remain willfully blind, too. So far this year, Colombia has suffered 204 explosive attacks, including car bombs and weaponized drones. The national Ombudsman counted 121 drone assaults just from January through May, killing 21 and wounding 145. Ecuador recorded roughly 9,200 homicides in 2025 — 51 per 100,000 residents, against 1,189 killings in 2019.
TL;DR
- US policy misclassifies Latin American threats as street crime rather than a global war, leading to policy failures.
- Iranian operatives and Hezbollah financiers exploit vulnerabilities in Latin America, converting cocaine revenue into terrorist funds.
- Colombian FARC dissidents and ELN collaborate with Ecuadorian crime syndicates, while cartels use Ecuador's ports for drug trafficking.
- Israel has recognized the shifting landscape, designating 2026 as "Latin America Year" and strengthening security ties with Colombia.
- El Salvador's success in reducing violence under President Bukele demonstrates an effective model of relentless enforcement.
- El Salvador and Israel are strengthening tactical integration, with El Salvador seeking a resident Israeli embassy.
- The US and Israel should establish El Salvador as a counterterrorism hub for intelligence sharing and tactical training.
- Ecuadorian and Colombian prison wings issuing kill orders should be targeted, with Salvadoran instructors training regional units.
- Small states like El Salvador and Israel have proven effective in dismantling terrorist networks, a strategy the US should join.