South America's rightward shift has created a more favorable environment for the Trump administration to expand its influence across the Western Hemisphere. A victory by right-wing Flávio Bolsonaro over unhinged socialist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil's runoff election later this month would cement the shift across the continent.
The next test is whether those political gains translate into deeper trade and military cooperation. On the military side, those partnerships are expanding in the war against narcoterrorists.
Joint military activity has already broadened this year, and the reported transfer of US MQ-9 Reaper drones to Colombia and Ecuador suggests preparations for a broader campaign, according to The New York Times.
🚨🇺🇸 EL PENTÁGONO MUEVE SU MAQUINARIA LETAL Llegaron a Colombia y Ecuador los drones de ataque MQ-9 Reaper. Ahora sí, ¿dónde se esconderán los bandidos? 🎯🇨🇴🇪🇨 https://t.co/vow0hzxpVt
— 𝕲𝖚𝖘. 『X』 (@CapGusXMan) October 7, 2026
According to the report, the U.S. military is transferring MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa, and this was first reported by CNN last month.
Ecuador's defense minister, Gian Carlo Loffredo, was quoted by NYTimes earlier today, saying two Reapers are already operating in the country. Colombian officials have previously outlined plans to receive three of these Group 5 drones.
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