Juan Gabriel Tokatlian: If Peru, Colombia, and Brazil shift to the right, the US will have the bulk of Latin America under its influence'

"In 1950, the renowned U.S. diplomat and strategist George F. Kennan sent a memorandum to the secretary of state with a stark warning: the United States needed to adopt a much tougher stance toward regions where communist sympathies were growing. In particular, he argued that Washington had to strongly assert its status as a great power, making clear that the countries of Latin America needed the U.S. far more than the U.S. needed them."

"With Donald Trump back in the White House for a second time, that logic of domination and discipline appears to have found new life. And, as Argentine sociologist Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, 72, a specialist in international relations, warns, it is beginning to translate into concrete actions."

"Last Saturday, 12 Latin American leaders traveled to Miami to take part in Shield of the Americas, a summit of allies convened by Trump at one of his golf clubs. The United States has understood that it is possible to unify them, to coordinate them. It is possible that its project will now find an opportunity."

George F. Kennan's 1950 containment doctrine advocated for U.S. dominance over Latin America, asserting that these nations needed America far more than vice versa, with discipline imposed for non-cooperation. This logic of domination has resurfaced under the Trump administration, which is actively translating it into concrete policy actions. Trump convened Latin American leaders at a Miami summit called Shield of the Americas at his golf club, demonstrating renewed U.S. efforts to unify and coordinate regional allies. Argentine sociologist Juan Gabriel Tokatlian warns that the United States has successfully identified opportunities to consolidate its influence over Latin American nations through coordinated diplomatic initiatives.

Read at english.elpais.com