As Donald Trump continues to ramp up his immigration raids and slash social programs, one theme is consistent through his press conferences and executive orders: class war. Not just the one enforced by ICE raids, mass kidnappings, and deportations, but one that he is aiming to invade and bomb Venezuela, Mexico, and now Colombia in the so-called “war on drugs.” These attacks on the working class are part of the same imperial system, and they must be opposed with equal force, organization, and clear politics.

Trump’s recent remarks claiming that he is going to “take control” of Latin America under the pretext of fighting drug cartels are nothing new. These remarks echo a long and bloody history of U.S. intervention on the continent—one that stretches from Chile and Argentina to more recent efforts aimed at overthrowing Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba.

One does not need to fully agree with the governments of these countries to support peace or diplomacy and prevent bloodshed or death. While people in the U.S. face hunger, homelessness, and lack vital mental health services, instead of addressing these issues, our government is spending our tax dollars on war and occupation.

It is not the fault of the governments of Latin America that the Trump administration is slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cutting Medicaid, evicting people, and closing the Department of Education, among other cuts to social programs. These are direct actions by our own anti-worker government and system.

Every time Washington claims it’s bringing “democracy” or “freedom” to Latin America, Africa, Asia, or the Middle East, it brings hunger, poverty, death, racism, and destruction. These invasions have overthrown democratically elected governments, supported dictators, and displaced millions of families, fueling the very migration crisis Trump now condemns.

Latin America Under The Boot Of The U.S. Empire

In recent years, Washington has funded multiple coups across our continent, aiming to replace elected presidents with Wall Street-friendly puppets and promote “color revolutions” in the region. From the 2009 coup in Honduras to the 2019 overthrow in Bolivia, the failed 2018 coup attempt in Nicaragua, the 2022 Peruvian coup, and the repeated plots to invade Venezuela or assassinate democratically elected President Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. has continued to undermine democracy in Latin America under the guise of “freedom” and “human rights,” and now the “war on drugs.”

But this pattern is nothing new. Since its creation, the United States has consistently interfered in Latin America’s internal affairs– through invasions, land grabs, and regime changes. From stealing half of Mexico’s territory to occupying Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.

Our continent has always fought to defend its sovereignty and independence from both European colonial powers and U.S. imperialism.

As Eduardo Galeano noted in his well-known book, ‘Open Veins of Latin America,’ he stated that:

From 1898 to 1994, the U.S. overthrew at least 41 governments in Latin America, according to research by Columbia University historian John Coatsworth.

On March 8th, 2022, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report stating that from 1991 to 2022, the U.S. conducted at least 251 military interventions and 469 foreign interventions worldwide since 1798.

The ruling class in the U.S. has always feared that the peoples of the Americas could unite, draw from our ancestral practices, culture, and heritage, and improve our lives in the pursuit of self-determination, which is why they spend trillions of dollars creating divisions. They........

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