Fighting our Neighbors Makes us Less Prosperous and Safe By Ambassador Luis Moreno - October 22, 2025
Americans are among the most fortunate people on earth. Our standard of living, our quality of life, the freedoms provided by our constitution and democratic institutions are (under normal times) the envy of the world. So are our natural resources, and our geopolitical, diplomatic, and military influence are unmatched. Unlike countries I served in as a diplomat, we’re not hearing air raid sirens at night or plagued by famine.
Chief among the reasons for this is the fact that we are bordered, buffered and protected by two oceans and by having strong and stable ties to the two nations that border us. Our economy depends on our two top trading partners – Mexico and Canada, with over a trillion dollars in trade between them. This integration supports over 12 million U.S. jobs in sectors like autos, agriculture, and energy, ensuring affordable goods and bolsters a stable economy. Mexico and Canada are stable democracies and do not pose either a military or political threat to the United States; Canada is a vital part of our mutual defense in NORAD.
The bottom line is that we are blessed to have these two neighbors.
Compare that to the situation of our two principal economic, geopolitical and military rivals, the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Russia and China are both bordered by 14 countries, making bilateral, economic and security relations complex and difficult. Most of Russia’s neighbors are openly adversarial, including some that are members of NATO and have economic sanctions against Russia in place, and it is involved in a major, debilitating war with the neighbor it invaded. China’s 14 neighbors, while not as openly hostile, still present a daunting challenge. Some are threatening, such as India and Vietnam, and some neighbors soak up a tremendous portion of China’s GDP and political capital, such as North Korea. Unlike the U.S., China’s surrounding oceans are a source of conflict.
One would think that the U.S. would continue to foster and cultivate the historically close ties with our neighbors. Who could forget how Canada allowed our commercial jets to land on Canadian soil on 9/11 and allow U.S. diplomats and others to move safely in the Middle East and elsewhere under the Maple Leaf? Who can forget the Mexican first responders who volunteer during the fires in California or the recent floods in the Texas Hill Country?
However, instead of cultivating our neighbors, the Trump Administration, and specifically Trump himself continues to intimidate and bully our neighbors and allies. Trump has repeatedly called for annexing Canada, belittled former PM Trudeau, and mis-labeled the current PM as a “President” during a live press conference. Misusing the Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trump increased tariffs on general goods, energy, automobiles, steel, lumber and copper. The result: retaliation from Canada, a massive drop in Canadian tourism to the U.S. and boycotts of some U.S. products. Canadians are even booing the U.S. national anthem at sporting events.
Mexico is getting even worse treatment. From the first time he came down the golden escalator and announced his candidacy, Trump talked about immigrants, particularly Mexicans, as rapists and violent criminals, admitting that maybe a few were “good people.” He talked about his border wall, falsely claiming that Mexico would pay. Again, through the manipulation of the IEEPA, Trump raised general tariffs on Mexican goods to 25%, and is passing those price increases directly to American consumers. Certain tariffs on auto parts will adversely affect the American economy and American jobs. President Trump’s “declaration of war” against Mexican cartels labeled as “terrorists” prompts fear of potential unilateral strikes inside sovereign Mexican territory, a possibility which has been strongly condemned by Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
The whole region is now being affected. The Trump Administration’s strikes off the Coast of Venezuela in international waters on so-called narco-terrorist vessels headed to the U.S. is causing great tension among our traditional allies in Latin America. The lack of any due process makes these actions tantamount to extrajudicial killings. The announcement October 20 of the curtailment of assistance to Latin America’s longest running democracy, Colombia, via Trump’s social media account, needlessly curtails our influence with a country that is vital to the fight against cocaine trafficking.
Our neighbors will always need us, and we will always need our neighbors. If cooler heads prevail, and a more reasonable and mutually agreed tariff system can be put in place or the rebranded US-Mexico-Canada agreement, we can tamper down economic tensions. If the U.S. would temper our comments about Canadian and Mexican sovereignty, we could retake lost ground, and improve on our mutual immigration, narcotics, and economic policies. And we could certainly get Latin America on our side versus an entrenched dictator in Caracas, if we worked on multi-lateral law enforcement efforts and stopped carrying out extra-judicial killing in international waters.
Frankly, the ball is in our court, and the clock is ticking. Will we work with our neighbors or will we continue to be our own worst enemies?
In his 35-year career, Ambassador (ret) Luis G. Moreno served as US Ambassador to Jamaica and Acting Ambassador in Israel, Haiti, and Spain, as well as Director of Counternarcotics at the US Embassy in Colombia. He is a member of The Steady State.
Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 340 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law and the preservation of America’s national security institutions.