If there is one thing that characterizes Donald Trump, it is his ability to turn any issue into a high-voltage patriotic operation. In his latest speech, where he combined Greenland, the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama Canal in a single breath of national strategy, it is clear that he seeks to put the flag before any negotiation. Something that in our latitudes seems to have been lost in the mists of political correctness.
Trump makes it clear that the United States should secure its “vital interests” by buying Greenland, defending tooth and nail its renamed Gulf of America and guaranteeing control of the Panama Canal. It sounds bold, even ambitious, but behind this vision lies a compelling logic: the unwavering defense of national interests. While others sign blank checks to Brussels or Rabat, Trump thinks of his compatriots as if his life depended on it.
Let us compare this with our president, Pedro Sánchez, a leader whose political backbone seems made of plasticine. In May 2021, while Ceuta was experiencing an unprecedented migratory avalanche, Sánchez opted for the most shameful diplomatic surrender in decades. He handed the Sahara over to Morocco in a turn of events that did not even have the decency to consult with Parliament. The “be strong, Mohamed” that he did not dare to say was finished off with a red carpet that not even Aladdin could have imagined. While Rabat used us as its backyard, Sánchez strolled around Europe handing out selfie smiles and empty speeches about “international solidarity”.
Can you imagine Trump in La Moncloa? The Rock of Gibraltar wouldn’t last two tweets. With a “Make Spain Great Again” in the traditional version, the flag factories would be smoking. The American leader would make the English return even the monkey souvenirs. While here we continue to debate whether we should talk about the “Gibraltar problem” or the “Rock issue”, Trump would have already installed a golf course on the rock and the llanitos would have exchanged bacon for pork.
Of course, the left is outraged. It’s about «Yankee imperialism» or «aggressive diplomacy.» Personally, I’d much rather have a diplomacy that dares to demand and negotiate than one that merely picks up crumbs. Trump talks about Greenland because he knows that its position could reinforce his country’s geostrategic advantage. Meanwhile, Europe is debating how to allocate immigrant quotas, ignoring the fact that massive flows of people are a political instrument that destabilizes democracies.
And here, when we are faced with a historic crisis of migrant arrivals, Sánchez is quick to thank “Moroccan cooperation” while the menas make headlines and neighbors search for answers.
Trump, with a pragmatic vision and a sharp eye for opportunity, understands that national interests are not negotiable. The Panama Canal is not just a waterway; it is the perfect metaphor for how to pull the strings of global trade. Greenland is not just ice and polar bears; it is a treasure trove of mineral resources and a key piece in the Arctic game. And the Gulf of Mexico, well, that is the backyard that any neighbor would want to keep under lock and key.
If Spain had a Trump, perhaps we would still have a position of respect on the international stage. Gibraltar would be different from what it is today and the British would not be making fun of us; Ceuta and Melilla would have a wall like no other; and the Sahara would not have changed hands without at least the opinion of the Spanish government being heard. But here we are, between “dialogue table” and “historic agreement”, handing over the keys to the house and thanking that they do not change the lock on us.
The difference between Trump and Sánchez is that one plays geopolitical chess while the other is playing tic-tac-toe with Begoña. And while Trump grabs the board and tilts it to his side, Sánchez limits himself to applauding the opponent’s moves. In the end, between Greenland and Ceuta, between the Panama Canal and the Sahara, what is at stake is not just the control of territories or routes; what is at stake is the soul of nations and their ability to be masters of their destiny.
So, let the progressives laugh, criticize, and despise Trump, but be clear that in his model of leadership there is something that we have forgotten here: the will to be something more than a spectator in history. And while Sánchez gets caught up in his celebrations of Franco’s death, Trump, in his pragmatic and resolute way, reminds us that those who do not fight for what is theirs end up seeing how others do it at the expense of their future.
Artículo original OK Diario.
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