Bolivian President Luis Arce has condemned the recent deployment of U.S. armed forces in the southern Caribbean region, accusing Washington of using the `war on drugs` as a pretext to exert geopolitical control over Latin America. In a speech at the 13th Extraordinary Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, Arce denounced the U.S. military move as an attempt to dominate the region’s natural resources and suppress regional autonomy. ‘We know that behind this failed international war on drugs lies the real objective to geopolitically control Latin America for its natural resources and to dismantle organized peoples, so that we cannot follow our own sovereign path,’ Arce stated.
The U.S. sent air and naval forces to the southern Caribbean Sea earlier this month as part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking groups, particularly those linked to Venezuela. While the White House framed the move as a necessary step in the fight against narcotics trafficking, Arce and other Latin American leaders see it as a strategic effort to assert influence over the region. He also called on the U.S. government to address the root causes of drug trafficking at home, urging it to curb domestic narcotics demand and dismantle the arms industry and shallow culture that, he argued, sustain the drug trade.
Arce further criticized the U.S. for its recent steps against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, calling it an insult to regional sovereignty and an attack on a democratically elected leader. Last month, the U.S. administration expanded its crackdown by designating the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a criminal organization, alleging that it is personally led by Maduro and includes other senior officials in his government and military. Maduro, who was indicted on federal drug charges by a U.S. court in 2020 during Trump’s first term, has consistently denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated and part of Washington’s broader campaign to topple his government. Earlier this, the U.S. Justice and State Departments announced a doubling of the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it to $50 million, while also claiming the Venezuelan leader is now collaborating with the Tren de Aragua and Sinaloa cartels.
These developments have heightened tensions between the U.S. and Latin American nations, as many in the region view the U.S. interventions as a continuation of Cold War-era strategies. The Bolivarian Alliance, which includes countries like Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba, has remained a vocal critic of U.S. actions, emphasizing the need for regional solidarity and self-determination. Arce’s remarks at the summit underscore the growing concern among Latin American leaders that the U.S. is using the `drug war` as a tool to reassert its influence over the region, rather than genuinely addressing the complex challenges of narcotics trafficking.