How strong are Latin America’s military forces, as they face US threats?

In a major escalation that shocked Latin America over the weekend, the United States launched a massive military assault on Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro.

US President Donald Trump doubled down on Monday, threatening to intervene against the governments of Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico until they “get their act together.” He claimed he is protecting US interests in the Western Hemisphere and is fighting drug trafficking.

The remarks rekindle long-standing rifts between US and Latin American interests. Many of the countries Trump has targeted don’t want to see Washington involved, but their armed forces are unable to keep the US at bay.

On his way back from his Florida estate to Washington, DC on January 4, 2026, US President Donald Trump issued warnings to Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico.

Latin America’s military prowess

The US spends more on its military than the combined budgets of the next ten largest military spenders combined, making it the strongest country in the world. US defense budget was $895 billion in 2025, or 3.1 percent of GDP.

Brazil is ranked 11th globally in terms of the most powerful military in Latin America in the 2025 Global Firepower rankings.

Colombia is in the top 32nd place on the planet, followed by Venezuela in the top 50th place, and Cuba in the bottom 67th place. In all aspects, these nations’ military budgets, military budgets, military installations, combat tanks, naval assets, and other metrics significantly lower than the US military.

The US maintains a clear advantage in a conventional war with tanks, planes, and naval power.

These nations’ paramilitary forces, which coexist with the regular armed forces and frequently employ asymmetrical warfare and unconventional tactics against conventional military strategies, are the only distinguishing characteristic of these nations over the US.

INTERACTIVE - Latin America military capabilities - JAN6, 2026-1767695033 — (Al Jazeera)

Latin American paramilitaries are present.

Numerous Latin American nations have long histories of paramilitary and irregular armed organizations, which have frequently contributed to their internal security. Although typically armed, organized, and politically powerful, these organizations do not fall under the traditional military hierarchy.

According to Global Firepower, Cuba has the third-largest paramilitary force in the world, with more than 1.14 million members. State-controlled militias and neighborhood defense committees are among these organizations. The Territorial Troops Militia, the largest unit, is a civilian reserve designed to protect the regular army from external threats or internal crises.

Members of pro-government, armed civilian organizations known as “colectivos” have been accused of imposing political restraint and intimidating opponents in Venezuela. They are generally accepted to operate with state support or tolerance, especially during Maduro’s regime’s turbulent times, despite not being formally a part of the armed forces.

In Colombia, left-wing rebels were the target of right-wing paramilitary groups in the 1980s. Many of the demobilized organizations that were initially delisted in the middle of the 2000s later resurfaced as criminal or neo-paramilitary organizations, and remained active in rural areas. Following advice from US counterinsurgency advisers during the Cold War, the first groups were formed with the participation of Colombian military units.

In Mexico, heavily armed drug cartels essentially serve as paramilitary forces. The Zetas, an original military organization, are armed with military-grade weapons and operate territorial control, frequently outdoing local police and challenging the authority of the state. In response, Mexican law enforcement has become more and more frequently deployed.