President Donald J Trump just endorsed Javier Milei in Milei’s reelection bid in Argentina, marking the first time Trump has endorsed a candidate in foreign elections. Some might say it's because Milei is cleaning up Argentina’s disastrous financial situation and righting the ship. Argentina once had an economy greater than most European nations and was the second-largest economy in the Western Hemisphere.
True, it’s about economics: a rising tide lifts all boats. A better economy means a better way of life for Argentines, but let’s dig deeper, add a bit more context, and look at Venezuela. Is Maduro a CIA-installed puppet? We may never know, but one thing is for sure: the U.S. military is going after drug operations coming out of the country. Maduro has allowed cartels to operate freely inside Venezuela, with him taking a payoff to allow them to do so. He also controls the Cartel of the Suns, a group of military generals whose cartel facilitates the transportation of drugs across Venezuela, using military supply chains and military hardware.
How is this context? Argentina, Venezuela, and most Latin American countries have a single common denominator—China.
So, what if I told you that Trump’s war of terror, drugs, and thugs in the Western Hemisphere is about repelling a silent invader who has quietly crept up to our back door and then slipped inside?
The first step was Panama. After Jimmy Carter allowed U.S. control of the canal to slip from our hands, the Chinese came calling, building massive port infrastructure on both ends of the canal and providing money, manpower, and technical expertise to expand the Ditch. Trump stepped in and said the canal was no longer China’s playground, wresting control of this critical infrastructure from the Chicoms’ hands. Why would he do this? Not only to allow the free flow of shipping and goods through the region, but also to ensure the safe transport of U.S. warships and materials through Panama. If China controlled the canal and we went to war with them, would they allow us to pass? Could they shut down the canal and deny everyone access? The answer to both questions is: YES.
Now, if you didn’t know, China has been on a tear, building a new Silk Road. Their version includes building new ports, upgrading existing ones, and investing in mining, minerals, oil, and other natural resources across the globe. What does China ask in return? Like a bank, if the country defaults in repayment, China gets to keep the ports, the mines, the oil fields, and the farm land. They negotiate sweetheart deals that force a country exporting goods to sell oil or iron ore at lower prices, even if the market price is substantially higher. This means China gets cheap materials, and the country takes less money than it should for its resources.
Every port is a potential military base, every acre of land beside a U.S. military base is a potential listening post.
Now, back to Argentina.
The Espacio Lejano Station is a radio station located in the Loncopué Department of Argentina. The Chinese National Space Administration operates it as part of the Chinese Deep Space Network. The Lejano Station sits on a 494-acre plot and houses a 35-meter antenna. It is the first Chinese deep-space earth station built outside China. The land was leased in 2012 to the Chinese government for fifty years with heavy tax exemptions.
China invested $50 million into building the station and employs at least thirty Chinese employees. It is surrounded by large fences and is entirely controlled by the Chinese military, with no Argentine oversight of the station’s operations. The United States has long been worried about what it sees as China's strategy to “militarize” space, with China claiming to have missiles that can strike U.S. satellites that help deliver munitions and provide GPS coordinates for U.S. warships and troop movements.
Milei has vehemently opposed the Chinese base, wants to inspect it, and has spoken with President Trump about the threat the space station poses to both Argentine and U.S. interests. Could we see Milei push China out? Probably not, but the first steps have been taken, including the U.S. providing financial and military support to Argentina.
But how does this connect to Venezuela?
Like North Korea, Venezuela has become China’s junkyard dog. North Korea threatens stability with nuclear weapons, Venezuela threatens stability by pushing drugs into the U.S., and allowing Hamas to illegally mine gold to supply funding for their operations.
China controls billions of dollars in mining, oil, and shipping rights in Venezuela, and they recently announced another billion dollars in funding for Venezuela, bringing the total debt to the Asian nation to well over SIXTY Billion. Yes, you read that right, Doctor Evil.
I’m keeping this simple so it’s easy to understand. There are a lot of nuances at play with trade, cheap oil, mineral production, military strategies, and manipulated markets. Still, the big picture is that Trump’s troop buildup against Venezuela is about control of the region and taking the fight to China through its proxies.
The majority of Beijing’s arms transfers to Latin America over the past several years have all been channeled to Venezuela. While it is not as prominent as its economic investments, it still poses a significant challenge to others in the region.
But does China have real power in Venezuela? Yes and no. Yes, because of their heavy investments and their ability to demand money, minerals, and infrastructure in return. As for the no, Caracas is a long way from Beijing. Venezuela’s military is weak, operating on obsolete equipment that is not well-maintained, and few troops are trained to fly the remaining F-16s and Su-30 fighters. Even their Navy demonstrates a lack of discipline, sinking a frigate by ramming a cruise ship, and many of their warships are laid up in dry dock. They can barely put these vessels to sea, let alone have the munitions and training to take on a superpower like the United States.
China can hamper U.S. development by stopping shipments of rare earth elements and magnets used in everything from smartphones to smart bombs. But China would also be cutting off important economic trade relations with civilian businesses that rely on these elements to survive. China can’t afford to lose trade dollars or heighten tariff wars to compete with U.S. interests in Latin America.
The final takeaway is that Trump is fighting China where it hurts—the nexus of trade, debt, and influence—clamping them in a vise of impossible choices: tone down nationalism to improve diplomacy or stoke nationalism and damage trade relations.
By targeting China through proxies, Trump is weakening their influence across the globe and putting the paper dragon back in its place.
Only time will tell how things play out, but if the Art of the Deal has taught us anything, it's that Trump knows how to manipulate his opponents into giving up strategic advantages.
Suppose there is less narcoterrorism, fewer junkyard dogs, and more U.S. investment in Latin America. In that case, it’s a win-win by ensuring the Western Hemisphere is, as the Monroe Doctrine states, free of interference from outside powers.
This is Evan's editorial opinion. No liberal tears were shed when he wrote it.