After Trump ordered the increase in troops, the US military took a stance to start war. At the same time, the second "Venezuela" has surfaced. So, who is the US military targeting this time? What is the purpose of its military actions?
Recently, US Secretary of Defense Hegses boarded the USS Iwo Jima warship in Puerto Rico, and publicly told the Marines that their deployment was not training, but real actions. The message conveyed by this statement is very clear, that is, Washington is trying to create new tensions in the Caribbean. Trump even renamed the Department of Defense to the "Department of War". This change is not only a verbal action, but also a signal, which means that he wants to directly link the US military means to national interests.
You should know that not long ago, the US military sunk a Venezuelan ship in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 people. Trump claimed that the ship was transporting drugs and entering U.S. territory. This statement has no evidence to support it, but it has become a reason for the United States to launch military operations. Human rights groups accused the move of "extrajudicial executions", but Trump emphasized on social platforms that it is a warning to everyone who may carry drugs. Obviously, the US government is seeking legitimacy for its actions, but the effect is counterproductive.
Not only that, the Venezuelan government also expressed strong opposition to the US military operations. Maduro also emphasized in many speeches that the real purpose of the United States is not to control drugs, but to put pressure through military means and even interfere with the Venezuelan regime. This suspicion is not groundless. Looking back on Trump's first term, he strongly supported the Venezuelan opposition and was even exposed to indirectly supporting the coup. This time the military upgrade is almost a continuation of the old policies.
When the tension in Venezuela has not yet subsided, the United States pointed its finger at Brazil. On September 10, local time, White House spokesman Levitt said that if Brazil continues to advance the trial of former President Bolsonaro, the United States will not rule out the use of economic or even military means. This direct threat is exactly the same as the pressure on Venezuela.
The Brazilian government quickly fought back, emphasizing judicial independence and condemning the United States' interference in internal affairs. It is reported that the Bolsonaro case has become a major political event in Brazil. He is charged with attempting to coup and assassinate several senior officials and faces a maximum sentence of 40 years. Brazilian prosecutors believe that democratic systems must be maintained through judicial accountability, while Trump packaged them as "freedom of speech is oppressed." This kind of rhetoric is actually to stir up public opinion and transform judicial cases into political games.
From here we can also see that the logic of the United States is the same: in Venezuela, the excuse is drugs; in Brazil, the excuse is freedom of speech. Whether it is security or democracy, as long as Washington needs it, it will be transformed into a reason to interfere in other people's internal affairs.
The risks posed by this practice are twofold. On the one hand, the United States may really launch military operations. In Venezuela, U.S. warships have had dangerous contact with Venezuelan fighter jets. Trump even granted the military "right to fire and self-determination", and if Venezuelan fighter jets approach US warships, they can be shot down directly; on the other hand, the United States' pressure on Brazil may also exacerbate the division in Brazil. Bolsonaro still has a huge support group. If the United States continues to intervene, it may intensify the confrontation in Brazilian society and even lead to larger turmoil.
From a strategic perspective, the United States is creating a new "safety vacuum" in Latin America. In Venezuela, Washington created tension through military deployment, forcing Maduro to make diplomatic and economic concessions; while in Brazil, the United States tried to shape the possibility of a pro-US government returning through tariffs and public opinion offensives. This operation method is turning Brazil into the "second Venezuela".
About this, the Trump administration's Latin American policy is entering a dangerous stage. Military deployment, public opinion war and economic sanctions are intertwined, making Latin America once again the focus of global geopolitical struggle. The United States regards drugs and freedom of speech as an excuse, but cannot cover up its core goal, which is to maintain its regional dominance. For Venezuela, the crisis is still escalating; for Brazil, the storm is forming, and it depends on how Trump makes a decision.
