Former President Donald Trump has announced a significant new naval initiative, dubbed the 'Golden Fleet', during an event at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The unveiling comes amid a rapid series of US security agreements across Latin America, sharply escalating regional tensions and drawing stark warnings from Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
A Network of Security Agreements
While international attention has been fixed on the prolonged US military campaign targeting Venezuela, the White House has been concurrently forging a web of security pacts. In just the past week, the United States has secured military deals with Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. These arrangements vary widely, from granting US forces access to airports in Trinidad and Tobago to authorising the temporary deployment of American troops for joint anti-narcotics operations in Paraguay.
Officially, the administration justifies these moves under the banner of the 'war on drugs', the same rationale used for its offensive against Venezuela. However, White House officials and Trump himself have also stated goals include seizing Venezuela's vast energy reserves and ousting leader Nicolás Maduro. Analysts view the scale and timing of these agreements as a marked escalation, potentially laying the groundwork for an unprecedented US invasion of a South American nation.
'Gunboat Diplomacy on Steroids'
Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at the Defense Priorities thinktank, noted that constructing a network of operational locations is crucial for sustaining any large-scale military campaign. "We can’t say for sure that these activities are directly targeting Venezuela, but I think it’s naive to suggest that they’re not somehow related," she stated.
The recent deals are controversial. Ecuador's agreement allows for the 'temporary' deployment of US Air Force personnel, despite Ecuadorian voters rejecting foreign military bases in a referendum. Peru's congress, following a White House request, has authorised armed US military and intelligence operatives to work within its borders. Jorge Heine, a former Chilean ambassador, argues the motivation extends beyond narcotics. "Paraguay is not considered a major centre for either drug production or distribution, nor is Venezuela. This has much more to do with the US national security strategy document," he said.
Regional Repercussions and Warnings
The strategy, described by John Walsh of the Washington Office on Latin America as "gunboat diplomacy on steroids", aims to reward allies and warn adversaries. The Caribbean has become a particular flashpoint. After Trinidad and Tobago permitted a US radar installation and airport access, the Maduro regime accused it of aiding in the seizure of an oil tanker and cut off fossil gas supplies.
Trinidad's Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, defended military cooperation with the US as her country's "best defence". In response, Venezuela's interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, warned: "If Trinidad lends its territory to attack Venezuela, we have to respond."
These are not isolated incidents. In recent months, the US has signed similar pacts with Guyana, the Dominican Republic, and Panama. Existing US bases in Puerto Rico, Honduras, and Cuba, alongside surveillance hubs in El Salvador, Aruba, and Curaçao, further integrate the region into the military buildup.
In a letter to fellow Latin American and Caribbean leaders, Maduro issued an "urgent call" against a US "escalation of aggression … whose effects go beyond my country’s borders and threaten to destabilise the entire region". The re-elected leader, whose victory is widely considered illegitimate, has seen his diplomatic ties fray, even with former left-wing allies like Brazil's Lula da Silva and Colombia's Gustavo Petro.
As the new 'Golden Fleet' initiative is proclaimed, the consolidation of US military access across Latin America signals a profound shift in regional security dynamics, with analysts and leaders alike fearing a prolonged period of instability and confrontation.
