"Surprising Shift" in Trump's Compass.. New Countries at the Forefront of Washington's Priorities

SadaNews - President Donald Trump is preparing to announce in the coming days his new national security strategy, followed by a comprehensive review of U.S. defense policy and military deployment around the world, in a step that will define the priorities of his administration for the next four years.

However, leaks from within the U.S. administration revealed a surprising shift in direction, as Washington prepares to give Latin America a central role in this strategy, at the expense of the previous focus on competition with China and Russia.

Analysts see this shift as reflecting more domestic political considerations than a strategic decision, as Trump seeks to use foreign policy to serve his domestic agenda, particularly regarding illegal immigration and enhancing security along the southern border of the United States, according to a recent report published in the "Financial Times".

In this context, Venezuela and Colombia emerge as the most significant new battlegrounds.

Washington has observed an increase in U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean near the Venezuelan coasts in recent months, which the administration claims is dedicated to anti-drug trafficking operations, while observers see it as a pressure message on President Nicolás Maduro's regime.

Trump, for his part, has repeatedly accused Maduro's government of "fueling drug trafficking and illegal immigration towards the United States," while Caracas has announced an increase in military readiness in anticipation of any "U.S. hostile actions".

The relationship with leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro has deteriorated sharply after the latter compared Trump to Hitler, to which the U.S. president responded by accusing him of being a "drug trafficker" and "suffering from mental disorders," threatening to stop aid and impose punitive tariffs on Bogotá.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere with Brazil does not seem warmer, where Trump imposed a 50% tariff after former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump, was jailed for attempting to overturn the election results.

The U.S. also provided massive financial support of $20 billion to Argentina, in exchange for reducing its economic ties with China, which is expanding its presence in mining and infrastructure projects in South America.

Observers in Washington say these steps reflect Trump's vision that "foreign battles serve his domestic narrative," pointing out that border security, immigration, and drugs have become the primary drivers of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere.