The influence of the United States Governament in South America
By Julián Palomino. Trump’s second term has reconfigured the relationship between the United States and South America from a more pragmatic and transactional logic. In the commercial area, the foreign policy has favoured bilateral agreements and protectionist measures, generating tensions with exporting economies of the region, particularly in areas such as steel, agribusiness, and energy. According to the Congressional Research Service (2024), the government’s trade actions have yielded mixed results, with some countries obtaining particular agreements and others facing constraints that limit their competitiveness in the U.S. market. In the political and security realm, the Trump administration has pushed for a harder line against governments deemed hostile, notably Venezuela, through economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Council on Foreign Relations (2025) has observed that this strategy has further divided the region, with some countries advocating for such measures while...