Latin American leaders have spent millions of dollars hiring top Washington lobbyists to gain influence with the Trump administration, according to a joint investigation by The Guardian and the Quincy Institute.
Public disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) show that at least 10 Latin American and Caribbean governments have registered senior officials or diplomatic envoys as foreign principals since Donald Trump's re-election campaign began in 2024.
The lobbying efforts span requests for trade deals, military support, energy investments, and diplomatic access, as The Guardian explains. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, for example, invested $1.5 million over the upcoming three years and subsequently secured a nuclear energy deal, U.S. assistance in expanding a controversial mega-prison, an Oval Office meeting, and a travel safety upgrade.
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa is another example who used a contract with Mercury Public Affairs to obtain increased arms shipments and a favorable U.S. intelligence assessment shortly before winning a contested election while Argentina's President Javier Milei took a high-profile approach by dining with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and appearing at CPAC alongside Elon Musk, moves which preceded a $20 billion IMF agreement and a visit from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to the South American country. A trade deal and Oval Office meeting are reportedly forthcoming.
The Guardian reports that many of these lobbying relationships trace back to Damian Merlo, a Miami-based adviser with strong Republican ties. Merlo has worked for both Bukele and Milei, and continues to serve as a central figure in coordinating access to Trump officials through firms like Tactic Global. After Milei's 2023 election win, he distanced himself from Merlo to ease tensions with the Biden administration, but ties to Trump-aligned networks have since strengthened.
Veteran operatives such as Otto Reich and Mauricio Claver-Carone, figures with longstanding influence in Republican foreign policy circles, have also played key roles. Claver-Carone, previously instrumental in shaping anti-Cuba policy, is now serving as Trump's special envoy to Latin America alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Carlos Trujillo, a former U.S. ambassador and Trump nominee, is another prominent name that now lobbies on behalf of several Caribbean nations. His firm, Continental Strategy LLC, reported $3.6 million in revenue in early 2025 and played a role in brokering a $23 billion deal for strategic ports in Panama.
While lobbying by foreign governments is standard practice under new administrations, analysts note an increase in activity from Latin America. "Now that some of these folks are in government or have direct access to government, Latin American leaders will certainly find more fertile breeding ground to pursue their interests," said Jake Johnston of the Center for Economic and Policy Research to The Guardian.
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