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 others maintain that multilateral solutions are better. The attention to migration control has also indirectly affected South America, resulting in more restrictive policies in transit countries.





On the other hand, the relationship with external powers has been an important axis. The Trump administration has been trying to counter China's growing presence in the region, particularly in infrastructure and financing. Recent studies indicate that this geopolitical rivalry has forced numerous South American nations to reevaluate their strategic partnerships (Ellis, 2024). In this sense, South America is shown as a field of dispute between great powers, where the decisions of the US foreign policy have a direct impact on the regional dynamics.


In conclusion, the influence of Donald Trump's second term in South America is characterized by a selective, strategic, and sometimes unilateral approach. Its effects are not uniform, but rather depend on the political and economic conditions of each country, as well as its capacity to negotiate and adapt to an increasingly competitive international environment.

 

  • Congressional Research Service. (2024). U.S. relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Council on Foreign Relations. (2025). U.S. policy toward Venezuela.
  • Ellis, R. E. (2024). China’s engagement with Latin America. Strategic Studies Institute.

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