FROM MY LAND AND YOUR BACKYARD

The United States attacked three allegedly Venezuelan drug trafficking boats and killed the crew members. They transferred 6500 soldiers to the Caribbean area. They took the visa from the President of Colombia because he participated in a demonstration in favor of Palestine. For Brazil, only 50% of tariffs and a few visas less. They continue with sanctions against Cuba. They arrest hundreds of Latin immigrants every day and deport them.

And the icing on the cake: they give 20 billion dollars for Argentina to solidify its economic structure.

Historically, for them, we, down from Rio Grande, are, in our land, their backyard. We are fundamental to geopolitical and economic security. President Monroe's policy a century ago determined this interest, which was later the basis of Theodore Roosvelt's policy, 1901-1909, of the great club. That is, confirmation of the backyard. There were several other episodes, such as the Alliance for Progress, Point 4, Operation Pan-American, invasions such as that of Grenada, Dominican Republic, coups d'état, ALCA, Iran-contras.

The fact for us, in Latin America, difficult to accept, is that we are fundamental to the existence and prosperity of the United States of America. And the current government is demonstrating this unequivocally. In the Biden administration it was also, as is the case of unequivocal and fundamental support to recognize Lula's election and before sending the Secretary of Defense to convince the Brazilian military to respect the result of the polls.

The knot is on how to find the win-win path and avoid maximum confrontation. They are the largest investor in the country, they have the obligation to defend their strategic and economic interests. We have two million Brazilians there, 1% of our population, and probably a saving of the rich of more than 400 billion dollars. One hundred and twenty thousand Americans work for Brazilian capital companies there.

In the political field they can't afford to have anti-American governments. See the case of Mexico, a left-wing President, much more than the Lula government, dialogues and finds ways. Ecuador, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, El Salvador, are pro-USA. We have elections in Chile, which also did not confront, and in Peru. And the classic opponents Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua.

The plan to only assert themselves in "their backyard", especially with China and also Russia penetrating, has no sustainable future, including by new technologies and geopolitical division. There must be leaders who will find the path to development. While they gave 20 billion dollars to Milei, in a project in which few will earn a lot but in whose success no one believes, they could give 2 billion for the development of the region and would be more successful. There is a lack of leadership, there is an excess of arrogance and dialogue. And fight in the backyard, even of roosters, never ends well.