US cancels visas of several Latin American officials

The Trump administration cancelled the US visas of several senior Latin American officials, a move intended to support politicians it regards as friendly to its regional ambitions.

Leaders seen as close to the White House have won all of Latin America’s recent elections, with many vowing support for the Trump administration’s Shield of the Americas security initiative targeting drug smuggling.

Washington has leveraged visas to help its allies: Bolivia’s attorney general, who is leading an investigation against a political strategist known as “MAGA’s man” in Latin America, was one of more than two dozen current and former officials to lose their visas. The moves come as Washington reasserts power in the Western Hemisphere in a bid to combat China’s influence.