How the Trump administration strengthens organized crime in Latin America

Douglas Farah

Experto en seguridad

Although the Trump administration has placed the fight against organized crime and terrorism in the Western Hemisphere at the center of its National Security Strategy, recent decisions have drawn criticism regarding their coherence and real-world impact. From leaving most of Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle in power to pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, forging an alliance with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and lifting sanctions on former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes, these policies could ultimately strengthen the very organizations Donald Trump claims to be combating. In this column, Douglas Farah, a security expert and president of IBI Consultants, analyzes the implications of these decisions for security in Latin America.