️ US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with representatives from several Latin American countries on Thursday to discuss US security objectives, asserting that drug cartels must be targeted more aggressively. The meeting aligns with the Trump administration's purported renewed focus on the region, described as the 'Trump Corollary' to the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, which historically aimed to curb European influence in the Americas.

️ The Pentagon-dubbed 'Americas Counter Cartel Conference' was attended by delegates from Argentina, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, along with over a dozen conservative governments closely aligned with President Donald Trump. Notably, some of the region's most influential nations, including Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico—all with left-leaning governments—did not send delegations to the summit, highlighting potential divisions in regional cooperation.

️ Hegseth warned that 'business as usual will not stand,' pledging US support to combat cartels, restore deterrence, and 'make the Americas great again.' He stated, 'America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone if necessary.' He also claimed that the US and Latin American countries share a Christian heritage allegedly at risk, blaming decades of inaction and a purely law enforcement approach for failing to address organized crime and terrorist networks in the Western Hemisphere.

️ Attendees applauded as the US promised to allocate additional resources to Southern Command, which oversees US forces in Latin America, following years of complaints about resource shortages. White House Homeland Security Advisor and close Trump aide Stephen Miller attended the gathering, telling participants that drug cartels can only be defeated through military force.

️ Miller said, 'We have learned after decades of effort that there is not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem.' He added, 'The reason why this is a conference with military leadership and not a conference of lawyers is because these organizations can only be defeated with military power.' Miller asserted there is no difference between terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda or the 'Islamic State' and drug cartels, stating they 'should be treated just as brutally and just as ruthlessly as we treat those organizations.' He further commented, 'The human rights that we are going to protect are not those of the savages that rape, torture and murder but those of the average citizens.'

Source: www.dw.com