How strong are Latin America’s military forces, as they face US threats?
Al Jazeera••nation
Key Points:
- The US conducted a major military strike against Venezuela over the weekend, abducting President Nicolas Maduro, escalating tensions across Latin America.
- President Donald Trump threatened Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico with action unless they improved efforts against drug trafficking, intensifying concerns over US interference in the region.
- The US maintains overwhelming military superiority over Latin American countries, with significantly larger defense budgets and advanced conventional forces, though some countries have sizable paramilitary groups using unconventional tactics.
- Latin American paramilitary forces, such as Cuba’s Territorial Troops Militia, Venezuela’s pro-government colectivos, Colombian neo-paramilitaries, and Mexico’s drug cartels, play influential roles in internal security and often operate outside formal military structures.
- The US has
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