Trump’s South America policy ‘tyrannical, abusive’: Analyst

US President Donald Trump’s current policy towards South America is borders on ‘abuse and tyranny,’ an American political analyst says, arguing that Washington has to end all of its hostile policies if it really wants to get a better standing in the region.

Scott Bennett, a former US Army psychological warfare officer and counter-terrorism expert, made the remarks in reaction to US Defense Secretary James Mattis’ pledge to counter China’s growing influence in the region and help strengthen ties with South American allies.

According to Mattis, this policy required stronger military ties which would only become possible if the US National Guard take on a more active role in the region.

Mattis’ comments “indicate a rogue new character which is not in unity with President Donald Trump but in fact is betraying all of the classical conservative values and hopes and dreams that American had when voting for the president,” Bennet told Press TV on Monday.

Earlier this month, Mattis toured the region, making stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Colombia.

In Brazil, the Pentagon chief highlighted Washington’s interest in partnering with Brasilia in space research, an area that has seen increasing interest from Chinese firms in South America.

Generally perceived as a reliable economic partner in the region, China has even managed to fund a space center in Argentina’s Patagonia region.

PressTV-US military mulls S America missions to keep China out

The Pentagon chief says the US National Guard is prepared to expand ties with South American allies amid a “power competition” with China.

Bennett argued that Trump needed to address concerns about neo-conservatism in his team by firing Mattis and several other officials who were fueling the flames of old, aggressive US policies.

The counter-terrorism expert said Senator John McCain, who died of brain cancer over the weekend, was the champion of neoconservative thinking and expressed hope that his death was going to put to rest the American mindset of using military force for political purposes.

“So I would hope that Donald Trump would distance itself from any people and ideas that are continuing down this pathway and philosophy of threat, abuse and tyranny and instead adopt the classical Republican conservative values… and that would materialize into mutual prosperity and economic friendship between nations,” he concluded.

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