President Donald Trump issued a stark message Monday to would-be economic and strategic partners in Latin America: The U.S. doesn’t need you.
Speaking from the Oval Office after signing a spate of executive orders, Trump was asked about relations with Latin America and Brazil and said the relationship “should be great.” But he made it clear who needs who more in the relationship.
“They need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them,” he said. “They need us. Everybody needs us.”
Those comments seem poised to deflate hopes of some in Latin America that Trump would refocus resources on shoring up ties with countries in the Americas.
China and Russia have increased their footholds in the region over the past decade, financing major infrastructure projects including deep water ports, and providing more security partnerships for authoritarian states such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Those hopes were buoyed by Trump’s pick of newly confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was a key voice on Latin America policy in the Senate.
Other comments from Trump on Monday seem poised to alienate countries in the region further. Trump repeated false claims about the Panama Canal, hours after threatening once again to retake the canal. He also threatened to reimpose tariffs on trade partners Canada and Mexico and left the door open to using the U.S. military against Mexican drug cartels.
