Latin America´s Reopened Veins

This has happened before. And it is happening again. That’s right: the nod to Eduardo Galeano is not nostalgia—it is a warning. His book showed us how Latin America was opened and drained. This book is about how it is happening again, and what we must do before the veins are reopened permanently.

What occurred in Venezuela on January 3, 2026, was not an accident, nor an impulsive outburst, nor the erratic madness of a president. It was part of a broader, coordinated plan to reconfigure power in Latin America. It is the reactivation of a historical machinery of control that was never truly dismantled. This was not a slow diplomatic transition; it was a televised, high-speed military operation that signaled the arrival of a new, aggressive era of U.S. foreign policy—what some are calling the "Donroe Doctrine."

Why this book, and why right now?

We are moving from an era of "partnership" with the United States to an era of coercion and imperialism. This isn't a theory; it's a daily headline. These are the patterns we need to identify so we can take the first steps of resistance. We see it in the threats leveled against Mexico and Colombia—the "with us or against us" rhetoric regarding fentanyl and migration. When leaders like Claudia Sheinbaum and Gustavo Petro have to publicly defend their nations' right to exist without U.S. boots on the ground, the "Post-American" reality has already arrived.

The reader is not to blame for geography or history, but they are responsible for their own reaction and preparation in the face of the collapse of the old order.

That is why the time to publish this book is now. With Venezuela as a catalyst event and elections/midterms ahead in multiple countries—including the U.S. in 2026—the narrative landscape is shifting rapidly. Publishing while these events are still unfolding gives this book both a unique sense of urgency and relevance, for there is a need for awareness beyond simple reactions to daily headlines or shock at the apparent chaos.

We need an awareness that allows us to see the architecture of the new order before the walls close in on us. It is not enough to witness the change; it is imperative to understand the logic of the force driving it, so as not to become merely its victims.

BOOK STRUCTURE

PART I — The Return of the Boss

• Chapter 1: The Myth of the “New Context”

  • “This time is different” is always the phrase spoken right before a disaster.

  • New discourses, same power dynamics.

  • Then: Bananas, rubber, oil.

  • Now: Lithium, water, biodiversity, data, migration control.

    
    

    The form changes. The logic does not.

    
    

• Chapter 2: Power No Longer Cooperates: It Pressures

  • The end of soft diplomacy.

  • The return of sanctions, threats, and economic conditioning.

  • The implicit message: “Align or be isolated.”

    
    

    Key Idea: U.S. decline coupled with an aggressive retraction.

    
    

• Chapter 3: Elections as an Entry Point (CRITICAL)

  • Elections are not the problem; they are the opportunity.

  • Moments where narratives are funded, candidates are pressured, and “aid” is offered with strings attached.

  • The system doesn't change; only the administrator does.

    
    

    The Hard Truth: They don’t need fraud. They only need "acceptable" options.

    
    

PART II — Signs That It’s Happening Again

• Chapter 4: When the Money Arrives Too Fast

  • Promises of massive investment: “Bailouts,” “plans,” and “special funds.”

  • The key question: What is being asked in exchange... and who decides?

    
    

    Case Study: Argentina as a laboratory & The role of capital as political discipline.

    
    

• Chapter 5: Local Elites Reactivate

  • External power rarely governs directly. It governs through economic intermediaries, “neutral” technocrats, and functional politicians.

    
    

    Central Phrase: Extraction does not require occupation. It only requires cooperation.

    
    

• Chapter 6: Security, Migration, and Fear

  • Fear as a tool. Migration used as an excuse, a threat, and diplomatic pressure.

  • Security redefined as control, not well-being.

    
    

    Key Point: When everything is "security," nothing is sovereignty.

    
    

PART III — A World Splitting Apart

• Chapter 7: It’s Not Just the U.S.

  • China, Russia, the U.S.: They are not the same, but they all think in blocs.

  • The world is organizing by regions. Influence, not romantic alliances.

    
    

    The Orwellian Reference: It’s not about ideology; it’s about the administration of power.

    
    

• Chapter 8: The False Dichotomy: Washington or Beijing

  • Latin America does not need to change owners; it needs to have no owner.

  • China does not invade; the U.S. does not retreat. Both negotiate based on interest.

    
    

    Strong Phrase: The mistake is not choosing wrongly. The mistake is believing there are only two options.

    
    

PART IV — Colombia, Brazil, and the Critical Moment

• Chapter 9: Brazil: The Weight It Refuses to Assume

  • Brazil as a regional power, economic anchor, and inevitable diplomatic actor.

  • Without Brazil, there is no regional autonomy. With Brazil alone, it isn’t enough.

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• Chapter 10: Colombia: Between Geography and Obedience

  • Colombia as a strategic piece. The history of automatic alignment.

  • Internal costs: Conflict, dependency, and loss of political margin.

    
    

    Uncomfortable Question: Ally or platform?

    
    

• Chapter 11: Mexico and the Limit of Endurance

  • Mexico as a living border. Constant pressure and negotiated autonomy.

  • The risk of becoming a wall, a filter, or a buffer.

    
    

PART V — What Do We Do Then?

• Chapter 12: Plans B, C, and D

  • Plan B: Real Diversification. Europe, Asia, Africa. Ending exclusive dependency.

    
    

  • Plan C: Regional Autonomy. Energy, food, infrastructure, and common diplomatic defense.

    
    

    A single country is easily pressured; a coordinated region is too "expensive" to bully.

    
    

  • Plan D: Social Preparation. An informed public, less naive media, and basic political education.

    
    

EPILOGUE — It is not Anti-American. It is Pro-Future.

This is not about hate; it is about active memory. It is not about revenge; it is about prevention.

"History does not repeat itself because we forget it. It repeats itself because we fail to prepare for it."

Thanks for reading. Diego Rojas.

Abrazos.