The victory of the hard-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the presidential election in Colombia marks another success for US President Donald Trump's policy in Latin America and contrasts with the difficulties he faces in the Middle East and Europe, BTA reported, citing AFP.
Since the return of Republican Trump to the White House in January last year, several countries in Latin America – including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Honduras – have begun or confirmed a conservative political turn.
The capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela by US forces earlier this year also paved the way for unprecedented cooperation between Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and the Trump administration.
Washington has also turned its attention to Cuba. The US has tightened sanctions on its ideological adversary, forcing the island nation to adopt unprecedented measures in favor of a market economy.
The situation in Cuba has caused little reaction in Latin America, with the exception of Mexico and Brazil - the last two strongholds of the left in the region. Protests have also erupted in Colombia, where Gustavo Petro is preparing to leave the presidency.
“He (Abelardo de la Espriella) is saying what many people in Washington want to hear: more toughness“, Rebecca Bill Chavez, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank, told AFP.
“COOPERATION“
In March, Donald Trump created the “Shield of the Americas“ coalition with allied leaders from Latin America - an initiative aimed at combating international drug trafficking.
“Colombia under de la Espriella will certainly join“ to this alliance, predicts Evan Ellis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“I really expect closer cooperation from Colombia against groups designated as terrorists throughout the region“, he added to Agence France-Presse.
One of the points of tension in US policy towards Latin America is the disagreement between Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and the current Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
For months, the two countries have been engaged in open conflict, with Ecuador accusing Colombia of failing to tackle drug trafficking, as well as illegal mining along their shared border.
“With Daniel Noboa, De la Espriella and Washington all moving in the same direction, the political positions have not been so well aligned in years“, added Rebecca Beale Chavez.
DRUG TRAFFICKING
Several conservative governments in the region have also fully embraced American anti-drug policies. They have also been inspired by the model of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who built mega-prisons.
For his part, Panama is preparing to announce a reform of its prison system in the wake of prisoner escapes, and Honduras is considering buying drones from Ukraine for operations against drug trafficking.
But this ideological turn is not due solely to Trump.
Latin America has changed the way it perceives organized crime and immigration, as the recent victory of conservative José Antonio Cast in Chile shows.
Solidarity with Cuba is also weakening.
With regard to the communist island, “the next step will logically be demonstrations of military force, which could lead to military intervention,“ says Evan Ellis.
These Latin American governments, who are favorable to the White House, contrast with the difficulties the American president faces at home - just months before the crucial midterm elections.
They also coincide with periodic friction between him and his European allies, as well as serious tensions during negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.