In August, Trump sent an armada off the coast of Venezuela under the fig leaf of “fighting narcoterrorism.” In addition to about 4,000 sailors and Marines, this intimidating force includes guided-missile destroyers, helicopters, landing vessels and troop transports, F-35 jets, and a nuclear-powered submarine. The dollar value of the assets involved is in the tens of billions of dollars.
This is an act of naked imperialist aggression aimed at bullying Venezuela and reasserting US dominance in Latin America. America’s main imperialist competitor, China, has made inroads all over the continent. As the US struggles to retain its political and economic position, its thrashing, posturing, and bullying is getting as convulsive and dangerous as ever.
US losing control of its backyard
For over two centuries, the US has considered Latin America its “backyard.” In the 20th century, ascendant American imperialism tightened its grasp on the continent, securing its interests through coups, espionage, and invasions. Between 1898 and 1994, the US intervened openly in Latin America 41 times. The US has bled the region dry with “free trade” agreements, giving American multinationals access to cheap sources of labor and raw materials.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the American capitalists began outsourcing manufacturing to exploit cheap labor abroad. Nowhere did they find a larger pool than in China, where capitalism was in the process of being restored. This massive influx of capital helped Chinese industry develop a competitive edge on the world market.
South American mines found a steady stream of buyers in the up-and-coming Chinese electronics industry. In turn, China found a market to offload a mass of cheap commodities. By the 2010s, China had replaced the US as South America’s largest trading partner. This past July, Colombia—once a trusty vassal of American imperialism—became the 22nd Latin American country to join China’s Belt and Road “infrastructure development” initiative.
For years, Latin America’s largest country, Brazil, hedged its bets between US and Chinese imperialism. Now, Trump’s tariffs are pushing China and Brazil closer than ever. It’s now the third-largest recipient of Chinese investment worldwide.
In Mexico, Chinese investment almost quadrupled from $1.4 billion in 2019 to $5.2 billion in 2024. Alarmed, Trump has been threatening Mexico with tariffs and military aggression in the name of “fighting narcoterrorism.” His real aim is to decouple China from Mexico and reestablish US imperialism’s grasp on the country.
Inter-imperialist rivalry in Venezuela
China may be gaining on the trade and economic fronts, but the US still has dozens of military bases in Latin America. The deployment of troops off Venezuela’s coast is a way for the US to showcase its regional military might. As General Gregory Guillot recently stated, “Countering competitor influence in the region remains a key priority” for the US military.
Venezuela has the world’s largest known oil reserves. Throughout the 20th century, US multinationals ransacked the country, leaving behind nothing for the Venezuelan masses but grinding misery. The Bolivarian Revolution of the 2000s threatened the American capitalists’ ability to grow rich by exploiting the country’s people and resources. In 2002, the US tried to oust Hugo Chavez through a military coup, which was defeated by the Venezuelan masses.
To the imperialists, this was an unforgivable crime. After the failed coup, they turned to strangling the Venezuelan economy. Combined with the plummeting price of oil after the 2008 economic crisis, punishing US sanctions created a dire situation in the country.
But sanctions are less effective with a rising imperialist rival in the backyard. Venezuelan officials have been courting Chinese investment to bypass the sanctions.
This year, Venezuela is expected to export 90% of its crude oil to China. In September, China Concord Resources Corp installed the first Chinese-run oil platform in the country. Chinese loans to Venezuela now total $60 billion, and the country is now the biggest buyer of Chinese-made armaments.
Communists have no illusions in Chinese imperialism, which will ultimately defend its interests with the same ferocity as any other imperialist power. The small margin for maneuver enjoyed at present by countries like Colombia and Venezuela will turn into a relentless squeeze as the struggle between the two imperialist blocs intensifies.
State-Sanctioned Murder
The US attacked small boats off the coast of Venezuela since August, killing a total of 32 unidentified people. Trump shared videos of these crimes on Truth Social. He claimed the boats were “smuggling drugs,” but neither he nor his lackeys have provided any evidence to support the accusation. He bragged about the “kinetic strike” and warned that more attacks are coming.
This is nothing less than state-sanctioned murder. Venezuela accounts for less than one-tenth of the drug traffic into the US from Latin America. According to an investigation by Venezuelan authorities, the crews had no ties to the drug trade.
When Venezuela sent two reconnaissance jets to the area, the US had the gall to accuse Venezuela of escalating the situation. Afterwards, the US itself escalated by sending ten F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rican base which the Navy had been forced to abandon in 2003 due to anti-US mass protests on the island colony.
No crime is too extreme for American imperialism—as long as it secures the power and profits of the ruling class. If war breaks out, the US working class must stand shoulder to shoulder with workers south of the border.
Hands of Latin America!
American imperialism remains the most reactionary force on earth. Its history in Latin America is violent and bloody. It has backed countless coups, invasions, and reactionary civil wars to safeguard its exploitation of the continent.
American workers have nothing to gain from the ruling class’s attempt to retrench in Latin America. Every dollar spent on ships, bombs, and missiles is a dollar not spent on healthcare, housing, and jobs. It is the duty of American workers and youth to overthrow the imperialist parasites who have grown rich off the blood, sweat, and suffering of the masses across the Americas and the world.