President Trump is not only changing the rules. He’s creating a whole different game.
His America First strategy is not just removing the signage from the USAID building but is detaching from the traditional U.S. foreign policy. And this is not necessarily a bad thing — in fact, it appears to offer a new pathway to success and recovery of lost American leadership around the world.
The new administration has made a blunt statement: Mexico has an intolerable alliance with drug cartels. This declaration, and the threat of new tariffs, generated immediate results. Mexico sent more than 10,000 soldiers to the border to fight drug trafficking and stop illegal migration. During the previous administration, Mexico only promoted a policy called “Hugs, not bullets.” Trump put an end to that madness.
Mexico, the main trade partner of the U.S., decided to extend its arms open wide to China in 2023. The result was $4.6 billion in car purchases subsidized by the communist regime — a figure lower than the $4.4 billion spent there on American cars.
Under Trump, those days are over. In less than 20 days, Trump has sent a clear message, and Mexico sees the writing on the wall. The America First Trade Policy has been declared a critical component in national security. Even though many criticized the tariffs threats, nobody can disagree with the results.
The U.S. has confiscated a plane from the Venezuelan dictatorship, secured the release of 6 American citizens and guaranteed that the communist regime receives the deportation of hundreds of dangerous criminals from the Tren de Aragua street gang. Venezuela is even paying for the flights. Those are outstanding results after less than a month in office.
Meanwhile, El Salvador has offered to receive and re-imprison criminals not only from El Salvador’s notorious gangs, but also from Mexican cartels and convicts from other nationalities, including Americans. President Nayib Bukele has promised to be a key partner on security, migration and fight against drug trafficking.
The U.S. has also announced that it will support cooperation on civilian nuclear energy in El Salvador to ensure greater, cheaper and safer electricity generation.
Trump and his new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, also scored a quick and massive victory in Panama. In less than 24 hours, they put China in its place, expanded cooperation on migration with Panama, strengthened the trade agenda and advanced security collaboration. President Jose Raul Mulino pledged not to renew or extend his country’s participation in communist China’s Belt and Road Initiative. This is perhaps the most resounding victory of Rubio’s visit there.
The next step is to increase pressure on companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The Hong Kong-based company Hutchison Ports operates the port terminals at both ends of the canal and recently received a 25-year concession without bidding. These agreements will be audited, reviewed and perhaps reversed.
During his recent visit to Guatemala, Rubio noted that China is obsessed with establishing or dominating telecommunications through Huawei and other companies. Rubio stated that the U.S. government supports Guatemala’s firm decision to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan and will do anything possible to bring more investments to the Central American country.
“It’s not easy in a world where there is a lot of pressure to change that recognition and to break those ties,” Rubio said. “But you have always stood firm, and we look for opportunities for that only – not only to be a diplomatic relationship, but for it also to be an economic relationship with investments and opportunities.”
The Trump administration is convinced that China’s influence in the Americas is its main commercial and security threat. Everything else is secondary. The path to success will be to promote the three R’s: Restricting China’s advance, Reinforcing alliances with regional partners and Regaining lost U.S. leadership.
Trump has managed to win important battles in the region, making clear what his priorities and concerns are. This is not necessary President Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” policy, but perhaps it could be called a method of “Conquering in Chaos.” This is a new form of disruptive and challenging foreign policy, but also a new opportunity for hemispheric well-being, security and prosperity.
Arturo McFields is an exiled journalist, former ambassador to the Organization of American States and former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps. He is a graduate of the National Defense University’s Security and Defense Seminar and the HarvardX Leadership Course.
