U.S. Secretary of Defense Esper Attends Americas Counter-Cartel Conference [Reuters=Yonhap News]

On the 5th (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reaffirmed the administration's focus on the Western Hemisphere, stating at a gathering of Latin American security chiefs that "no external power should interfere with this hemisphere."

This is interpreted as a message emphasizing that the Trump administration's strategic focus remains on the Western Hemisphere, even amidst military conflict with Iran.

Secretary Esper presided over the first "Americas Counter Cartel Conference" at the headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in Florida.

The conference was attended by defense ministers from Latin American countries allied with the U.S., including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Belize, and the Dominican Republic.

"We are finally putting America, Americans, and the Americas first," Secretary Esper said. "President Trump recognizes the wisdom of the 'Monroe Doctrine,' and the era when we betrayed and endangered our own citizens is over."

The "Monroe Doctrine," proclaimed by U.S. President James Monroe in 1823, fundamentally advocates for the exclusion of European interference in the Americas.

President Trump has shown his intention to block the expansion of influence by China, Russia, and others in the Western Hemisphere and expand U.S. exclusive influence by promoting his "Donro Doctrine," a fusion of his name (Donald) with the "Monroe Doctrine."

Secretary Esper criticized, "For too long, Washington's leaders have abandoned the simple wisdom of the Monroe Doctrine. They were solely focused on America going abroad," and stated this led to a weakening of U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

He also pointed out that as a result, drug and terror cartels have proliferated throughout the Western Hemisphere, crime rates have increased, and the U.S. has suffered immense damage from the influx of drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine.

He emphasized, "President Trump has re-established the Monroe Doctrine. Securing U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere and keeping our homeland safe is our top national security priority."

First Americas Counter-Cartel Conference Held [Reuters=Yonhap News]

Secretary Esper urged Western Hemisphere nations to cooperate, stating they "share the same interests."

He also defined hostile actions, such as infiltration activities by adversarial forces near Alaska, around Greenland, in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea, as a "direct threat to the peace of the United States and the Western Hemisphere."

He stated that hostile forces seizing strategic chokepoints like the Panama Canal, ports, or infrastructure, or establishing military facilities in areas adjacent to the Western Hemisphere, are also "threats to the United States and the Western Hemisphere."

Secretary Esper also introduced that in response to adversarial forces' concept of the "New Global South" (primarily encompassing emerging and developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere), the Trump administration is prioritizing a strategic map of "the greater North America."

Although Secretary Esper did not directly mention China or Russia, the "Global South" is a concept that China and Russia have recently utilized in their efforts to expand solidarity with Latin American countries.

Secretary Esper explained that the so-called "greater North America" map encompasses areas from Greenland to the Gulf of Mexico, and then to the Panama Canal and its surrounding countries.

"If President Trump is in the Oval Office and you are here, we can realize the dream that James Monroe had a long time ago today," Secretary Esper stated. "We will make the Americas great again."

Amidst criticisms that the military operation against Iran, which began on February 28, contradicts the "America First" policy and the principle of minimizing overseas military intervention, supported by President Trump's core base, concerns and the possibility of a split within the MAGA camp have been discussed.

In this context, the Trump administration's decision to hold a conference for Latin American security chiefs appears to be a move to appease the base by emphasizing that the security strategy is focused on defending the U.S. mainland and the Western Hemisphere.

In a similar vein, President Trump is scheduled to hold a meeting with leaders from 12 Latin American countries on March 7 in Miami, Florida.