By Alternativa Socialista, PRMI in Mexico. 24 March 2025
Trump’s accession to the US presidency poses a threat to Latin America. And it breeds new dangers in a world plagued by war, climate change, the rise of the far right and the economic crisis.
The increase in tariffs on Mexican products, despite the rhetoric of its fight against fentanyl trafficking, in reality conceals the interests of US imperialism in the New Cold War against Chinese imperialism. As Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, has clearly pointed out, despite the anti-drug rhetoric, neither Trump nor Biden have really done anything to reduce drug consumption or trafficking within US territory.
Fentanyl use is undoubtedly a serious problem in the United States. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in the United States, in mid-2023 just under 80,000 Americans lost their lives as a result of fentanyl use, a record number of deaths caused by the drug. This has fallen to 58,000 by 2024, just over five months before the start of Trump’s presidency. But it is by no means the cause of Trump’s aggressive policy against Mexico and Canada, as he has insisted in his statements.
Suffice to say that only 0.1% of the fentanyl seized at the US northern border comes from Canada, which debunks the argument that the fight against fentanyl trafficking is the reason for imposing tariffs of up to 25% on Canadian imports.
On the other hand, while fentanyl trafficking from Mexico is a serious problem, Trump’s policy is in no way aimed at arresting those responsible for trafficking the narcotic on US soil.
In fact, all of those arrested in the US for drug trafficking are of American origin, which also dismisses the argument that migrants are responsible for drug trafficking within the United States.
Not to mention the absolute complacency with the pharmaceutical companies that for years promoted the use of opioid-based painkillers that has caused a health crisis in the US. After all, it was not the cartels who developed the process of synthesising this drug, but the pharmaceutical companies.
Or the role of the financial system, especially the banks, through which millions of dollars from drug trafficking are laundered. So what is the real root of Trump’s new aggressions?
Naked Imperialist Aggression
In his first tour as Secretary of State, Marco Rubio visited several Central American countries where he denounced the governments for favouring China in their trade relations.
Similar to Trump’s statements prior to taking office as president, in which he said he wanted to recover the Panama Canal because the Panamanian government had allowed the growth of Chinese trade in the area.
Migration is the other major issue that Trump has emphasised since his campaign as a goal of his administration. But contrary to Trump’s vile rhetoric, for whom migrants are simply criminals, the hundreds of thousands of people who leave their countries do so in search of an alternative livelihood.
Misery, hunger and violence drive millions to cross the continent in search of a better future, which is exploited by employers who take advantage of fear and desperation to underpay migrant workers, who as migrants are already part of one of the most marginalised and precarious communities.
Both examples make it clear that the US government’s main interest in the region is neither to reduce drug trafficking nor migration flows, but as propaganda aimed at his electoral base. What is at stake is regaining what they consider to be US imperialism’s sphere of influence in the face of China’s growing presence in the region.
This in the context of the trade war that Trump wants to intensify against Chinese imperialism, which has gone from being a headache for US capitalism to a real danger.
Sheinbaum’s call for unity
Between February and March, Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasised the need for “national unity” in order to confront Trump’s interventionist and imperialist policies with the recent designation of Mexican cartels as terrorist groups.
This stance seeks to consolidate an alliance that includes opposition parties and the national business sector, and she also thanked the National Conference of Governors (CONAGO), which published a communiqué supporting the federal government in the face of Trump’s measures.
Even opposition governors have backed the slogan used by the federal government and attended the rally held on 9 March in support of the president. Sheinbaum stressed the importance of coordination with all governors, regardless of their party affiliation, to defend Mexico’s interests in the face of unilateral actions by the United States.
However, the strategy of seeking national unity that includes opposition parties and the business sector has serious limitations and will have serious consequences for the “Fourth Transformation [the programme of social reforms first launched by former President Obrador).
This alliance can only dilute popular demands and compromise the class independence necessary to effectively confront imperialism. Collaboration with sectors that have historically had interests different from the welfare of the working people results in concessions that affect national sovereignty and the rights of the working classes.
Ultimately, important sectors of the Mexican bourgeoisie benefit from the precarious living conditions of day labourers, peasants and workers in Mexico, making juicy profits in their trade agreements with the United States.
The example of the San Quintín farm labourers, who work in precarious conditions for large companies that trade tomatoes and red fruits to the United States and Canada, is very clear in this respect. Or that of avocado producers, who export around 80 per cent of their production to the neighbouring country because it is more profitable.
Meanwhile in Mexico, the price of this product is rising, making it not only a luxury but also an object of jokes. “
A stand based on class independence is the only way to confront imperialism. It must be based on strengthening the organisation and mobilisation of the popular sectors in defence against imperialism, promoting policies that prioritise our class interests and reduce economic and political dependence on foreign powers.
While the national unity promoted by Sheinbaum seeks to confront external threats, it is crucial to critically evaluate the alliances formed and consider approaches that strengthen the autonomy and power of the working class in the struggle against imperialism.
For an alliance with our class siblings in the USA and Canada!
The hundreds of deportations that have already taken place in the US as a result of Trump’s policies, the deportation of people with permanent residence visas, and the constant attack on “dreamers” and the DACA programme, make it clear that the threat posed by the tycoon is not only external to the United States. It is a real threat to the families of thousands of workers in the United States, some of whom played an important role in Trump’s victory in the elections. The Latino vote was key to the Republican Party’s return to the White House.
But, on the other hand, the demonstrations in cities like Los Angeles, California, last February against mass deportations clearly show that in the very heart of imperialism we Latin American workers have a powerful ally: the American working class which is made up of thousands of migrant workers.
But also by US-born, Afro-American and white workers who understand that their enemies are not the migrants, who make up their neighbors and families, but the bourgeoisie and imperialism. Thousands of Mexicans have demonstrated in Los Angeles, and thousands of other migrants have led real battles against the police raids.
In this situation, we in Mexico and Latin America have to recognise our allies and our enemies, inside and outside our countries. Our allies are not the employers who underpay us for our work, forcing us to seek better opportunities in the US, nor our enemies are those on the other side who struggle every day to improve their living conditions.
Our allies are the millions of workers in the US, migrants or not, and our enemies are the same here and there: the bourgeoisie and imperialism.