| |  | | U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Puerto Rico on Monday as the Trump administration moved to escalate military operations against alleged “drug cartels” in the Caribbean. His visit followed large-scale U.S. Navy and Marines training exercises in Puerto Rico and the deployment of 10 fighter jets to the archipelago. These moves signal the potential for further actions against the Venezuelan government, and reignited anger among Puerto Ricans who have long had to deal with the social and environmental consequences of their homeland being treated as a U.S. military training ground. The military exercises and fighter pilot deployments are directly tied to the administration’s intensifying campaign against the Venezuelan government, which Trump officials have repeatedly portrayed as a drug trafficking cartel. Despite official denials, recent actions suggest that “anti-drug” operations in the Caribbean are part of a larger strategy of regime change. Since authorizing the deployment of warships off Venezuela’s coast in late August, Washington has steadily escalated its rhetoric and actions at every level. Last week, the administration launched a lethal strike on a boat it claimed was full of “drug traffickers,” killing 11 people. Subsequent reporting by The Intercept revealed the attack was carried out by a drone; that the boat had attempted to turn back to shore before being struck; and that survivors of the initial strike were struck again and killed. These details contradict the extremely flimsy legal rationale Trump invoked to justify the attack: that the boat posed a direct threat to U.S. national security. The dispatch of F-35s to Puerto Rico underscored that further escalation is on the table. The advanced jets arrived to the archipelago as Trump considered authorizing strikes against “drug cartels” within Venezuela. Though President Nicolás Maduro has opted for a conciliatory tone—professing “respect” for Trump and emphasizing Venezuela’s "willingness to dialogue”— he has also mobilized his military and citizen militias. Tensions flared further when two Venezuelan fighter jets reportedly flew near a U.S. navy vessel last week, prompting a threatening Pentagon response. On Wednesday, Washington sent strike aircraft to Guyana, which is locked in a border dispute with Venezuela. In Puerto Rico, militarization has stirred up old wounds. Residents have long rejected being treated as a toxic playground by the U.S. military. For 60 years, the U.S. Navy bombarded the island of Vieques with live ordnance, tested chemicals like napalm and Agent Orange, and even experimented with biological weapons, leaving a devastating toll. The island’s nearly 9,000 inhabitants have some of the highest rates of illness in the entire Caribbean, including elevated rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Although massive protests in the early 2000s forced the Navy to withdraw—sparked by the death of a civilian security guard by a 500 pound bomb—clean up efforts on Vieques and nearby Culebra have been significantly delayed. The recent military drills have revived long-running debates over Puerto Rico’s colonial status and role in Washington’s military strategy. The archipelago has long served as a “launchpad for empire:” its military bases played a role in the 1954 U.S.-backed coup in Guatemala, the 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic, the 1983 invasion of Grenada, and the 1989 invasion of Panama. Puerto Rico’s right-wing governor, Jennifer González, appears eager to see the archipelago play a similar role against Venezuela. After Maduro challenged her directly, she reaffirmed support for U.S. counter-narcotics operations, referred to Puerto Rico as the “U.S. border in the Caribbean,” and smeared Maduro as a “narcotrafficker” and “dictator” whose “drugs and violence” were flooding Puerto Rico’s streets. |
| |
|
|
|
| | | PURCHASE A COPY OF "GREEN CAPITALISM IN THE AMERICAS" |
| |
|
| |
|
| This special issue of the NACLA Report critically examines the rise of green capitalism in the Americas in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil in November. Guest edited by Sabrina Fernandes and Breno Bringel, this collection analyzes how the logics and instruments of green capitalism are shaping policy and territory, enabling new forms of dispossession, and deepening historical inequalities. The Fall 2025 issue also highlights the movements, communities, and visions from below that challenge these false solutions and point the way toward just ecosocial transitions. Take advantage of this special offer to purchase an individual issue of "Green Capitalism in the Americas" Offer valid for U.S.-based addresses only and while supplies last. Readers outside the United States may contact us at info@nacla.org to inquire about international shipping options. |
| | |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Every Wednesday, Eduardo Barnei confronts the police with a sign and witty phrases. Read more about the struggle of Argentine pensioners like Eduardo in a piece we published this week by Josefina Salomón and Patricio A. Cabezas. (Patricio A. Cabezas) |
|
|
| | | -
BOLSONARO CONVICTED—A majority of justices overseeing the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have voted to convict him of plotting a coup, being a member of an armed criminal organization, and three other charges linked to his attempt to overturn the 2022 election. When the third judge on the five-member panel voted for a conviction on Thursday, Bolsonaro’s fate was effectively sealed—though the final ruling was issued hours later after a fourth judge voted to convict. Shortly after the verdict, the former president was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. The conviction, which came after months of court proceedings, is likely to further inflame divisions in the country. During celebrations of Brazilian Independence Day on Sunday, right-wing protesters—many of whom waved Israeli and American flags—far outnumbered left-wing demonstrators. The verdict will also likely provoke further retaliation from the Trump administration, which has denounced the trial as a “witch-hunt,” imposed tariffs on Brazil, and sanctioned Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is leading the case. Shortly after the ruling, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened that the United States would “respond accordingly to this witch hunt.” -
MILEI’S HUGE DEFEAT—Argentine President Javier Milei suffered a massive setback on Sunday after his libertarian party lost by a landslide to the left-wing Peronist opposition in local elections in Buenos Aires, the country’s most populous province. While Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party had been expected to lose by a few points in the Peronist stronghold, the nearly 14 point drubbing—delivered in a province that holds almost 40 percent of Argentina’s population—sent stock markets tumbling and forced a grim-faced Milei to acknowledge a “clear defeat.” Nevertheless, Milei vowed to not only press ahead with his brutal free market economic reforms but to “accelerate them”—a stance swiftly endorsed by the IMF, which recently loaned the country $20 billion. The big winner of the day was Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicilof, a protegee of former President Cristina Kirchner, who gave a joyful victory speech on Sunday. “The ballot boxes had shouted that education, healthcare, science, and culture cannot be defunded,” he told cheering supporters. The election results come at a precarious time for Milei, who is battling fallout from a corruption scandal involving his sister—and chief of staff—as well as a congressional defeat after lawmakers overrode his veto of a bill increasing funding for disabled people. Crucial midterm elections will take place in Argentina in late October. |
|
|
| -
CUBA SUFFERS ANOTHER BLACKOUT—Cuba suffered its fifth nationwide blackout of the year on Wednesday, leaving 10 million people without power. While the country’s economic crisis—the worst in decades—is complex, the collapse of its energy system largely stems from crippling U.S. sanctions that have left the government unable to upgrade its aging power plants. In an effort to keep the grid running, Cuba leased Turkish ships stocked with floating power plants, but most have since departed due to a lack of foreign currency needed to pay for their operation. More recently, the government has made a significant investment in solar energy, with panels to be provided by China. The measures have so far failed to prevent recurring outages, leading to rare anti-government protests. Since 2019, when President Trump imposed harsh sanctions that President Biden largely maintained, Cuba’s economy has shrunk more than 15 percent. Tourism revenue has been stifled by onerous U.S. restrictions and the island’s classification as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. By Thursday, power had been restored to 11 of the county’s 15 provinces. -
ICE RAIDS AND PROFILING—The Trump administration announced on Monday the launch of a large-scale Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Chicago, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” The move coincided with a Supreme Court decision temporarily overturning a lower court ruling that had restricted federal agents from questioning people about their immigration status based on ethnicity, language, or profession. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker warned Chicagoans on Tuesday that the ruling would embolden agents to engage in blatant racial profiling. The operation, led by the same Border Patrol official who oversaw the crackdown in Los Angeles, has already sown fear across the city. School attendance and business revenue in Latino communities have dropped, while calls to immigrants rights hotlines have skyrocketed. The crackdown comes as the city prepares to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, with parade organizers urging vulnerable residents to stay home. Thousands of people marched in protest on Saturday, and hundreds more took to the streets on Tuesday. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | North American Congress on Latin America
53 Washington Sq South, Fl. 4W | New York, New York 10012
(212) 992-6965 | info@nacla.org |
| |
|
| |
|
|
