Latin American decision-makers face tough choices as they think about Donald Trumpʼs possible return to power. His previous america-first stance pushed countries to drop China deals used strong-arm tactics and (according to recent news) even told CIA to help remove Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela
During Trumps first run some countries found ways to work with him. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made smart moves: Mexico helped stop migrants and got good deals in return. The north-american trade agreement didnt fall apart — it got better with new rules for local production and workers rights
Today Claudia Sheinbaum leads Mexico into uncertain times; she hasnt done much international work yet. Meanwhile some latin leaders actually want Trump back:
- Javier Milei from Argentina
- Jair Bolsonaro from Brazil
These right-wing politicians think Trump coming back would help their own political ideas grow — its like theyʼre betting on his win to boost their power in the region. But many other latin-american heads still remember how he pushed them around on trade deals sanctions and other stuff back in 2017-21