US Pulls Millions In Military Aid From Europe, West Asia To Back Trump Allies In Latin America

Last Updated:September 15, 2026, 11:09 PM IST

The State Department on Tuesday notified Congress that it will reprogramme USD 52 million in foreign military financing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Source: AFP)

The Trump administration is stripping tens of millions of dollars in US military assistance to countries in Europe and the Middle East to support conservative-leaning governments in Central and South America.

The State Department on Tuesday notified Congress that it will reprogramme USD 52 million in foreign military financing from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Colombia, Ecuador and Peru last week and pledged them additional support as the Trump administration has prioritised the Western Hemisphere in its foreign policy with an emphasis on combating drug trafficking and illegal immigration.

Foreign military financing provides recipient countries with US taxpayer dollars to allow them to purchase military equipment from American defence contractors.

The State Department said the funds would be used to “combat narcoterrorism in our backyard and help continue to secure the Panama Canal”, adding that the Western Hemisphere has been historically neglected in US military assistance.

“These funds will prevent adversaries from establishing strategic footholds in our hemisphere,” the department said in a veiled jab at China, which has increasingly sought to boost its presence in Latin America.

The shift of money does not eliminate foreign military financing for Tunisia, Iraq, North Macedonia or Slovakia, although the exact amount remaining for those countries was not immediately clear.

The State Department said, though, that the current distribution of financing does “not align with the administration’s prioritisation of” the Western Hemisphere.

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Why is the US shifting military aid from Europe and the Middle East to Latin America?

The Trump administration is shifting USD 52 million in military aid to support conservative-leaning governments in Central and South America. This move prioritizes the Western Hemisphere to combat drug trafficking, counter illegal immigration, and prevent adversaries like China from establishing strategic footholds in the region. Additionally, the administration has expanded its military campaign against Latin American drug groups, designating 20 criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations and seeking joint ground operations with regional allies.

Which countries are losing and receiving US foreign military financing under the new plan?

The US State Department is reprogramming USD 52 million in foreign military financing away from Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Iraq. These funds are being redirected to Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

How is the US supporting Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella?

The US pledged a USD 1 billion security package to Colombia within hours of the swearing-in of its new right-wing populist president, Abelardo de la Espriella, who has aligned himself with Donald Trump and promised a hardline crackdown on drug cartels. Additionally, Colombia is one of the Latin American nations receiving redirected US foreign military financing and working with Washington on expanded military operations against criminal organizations.

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