Diplomacy Adrift

By: Elián Zidán

It seems the fundamental principles of diplomacy have been thrown out the window. Trying to make sense of recent events feels like opening an algebra textbook for the first time—nothing adds up.

And I don’t think I’m alone in this. The state of global politics today leaves us with more questions than answers. The decisions of world leaders seem increasingly random, lacking any clear strategy or coherence.

Take the ongoing trade war between the region’s economic powerhouses. If there was any doubt about who holds the upper hand, both Claudia Sheinbaum and Justin Trudeau learned the hard way that talk is cheap. The clear winner? Donald Trump.

But this was quickly overshadowed when Venezuelans found out that a "special envoy" from the U.S. had landed in Caracas to meet with Nicolás Maduro. On one hand, the White House officially recognizes Edmundo González as Venezuela’s legitimate president. On the other, they’re shaking hands with a man for whom they once offered a $25 million bounty.

And the surprises didn’t stop there. Hours later, it was revealed that the visit wasn’t just symbolic. Not only did the envoy return with six freed American prisoners, but Trump also reasserted his dominance by securing Maduro’s agreement to mass deportations of Venezuelans—including criminals from the notorious Tren de Aragua gang.

If Venezuela had its share of chaos, Colombia wasn’t far behind. In an interview with Univision, President Gustavo Petro declared that his country wouldn’t accept deportation flights carrying handcuffed Colombians. But in the same conversation, he admitted that several such flights had already landed. His excuse? "The president" (as he repeatedly referred to himself in the third person) simply wasn’t informed.

Then came the main event. In an unprecedented move, Petro decided to televise a cabinet meeting, supposedly in the name of transparency. Instead, it became the country’s most-watched reality show. There were late arrivals, secretaries in a hurry to catch a soccer match, a tearful resignation, the vice president demanding respect, and even a scolding directed at Petro himself.

As if things couldn’t get any more surreal, Ecuador stepped in with its own blunder. President Daniel Noboa shot himself in the foot by imposing a 27% tariff on Mexico—despite the fact that the two countries haven’t had diplomatic relations since Ecuador stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito last year.

Mexico barely reacted. President Sheinbaum dismissed the move with a smirk, mocking Ecuador’s economic influence and quipping that "Sinaloa’s shrimp tastes better anyway."

And then, the pièce de résistance came courtesy of the White House. Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu triggered a diplomatic earthquake. Not only did Trump put a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at risk, but he also suggested that Palestinians should simply "leave Gaza" and that the U.S. should take control of the territory. As expected, this ignited outrage across the Arab world and drew fierce backlash from both Israeli and American opposition figures.

What we’re witnessing isn’t just diplomatic chaos—it’s proof that foreign policy is no longer driven by long-term strategy or core values. Instead, it’s dictated by short-term interests, erratic power plays, and personal whims.

When diplomacy is treated like a bargaining chip and international relations become a spectacle, the real cost falls on the people—left to navigate the uncertainty and consequences of leaders who seem to be making it up as they go.