Article

2018-08-18 Caribbean-Latin America

James Mattis: Latin American countries selling out their sovereignty to Russia, China

[Wash Times] SANTIAGO, Chile ‐ A Chinese space force in Argentina, Russian control of Venezuelan gas and South American armies equipped with the latest Chinese and Russian hardware. Until recently, it might have sounded like the plot of a geopolitical thriller in a region once considered America’s backyard.

But this is what Defense Secretary James N. Mattis faced on his visit this week to several South American nations, where economic and military posturing by Beijing and Moscow has been on the rise for the past decade.

The whole reason Mr. Mattis made the trip was to try to "recover lost territory in Latin America," said one foreign ministry official in Argentina, where the U.S. defense secretary stopped Wednesday. "Chinese and Russian influence grew during years in which the U.S. largely abandoned the region," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of his sensitive post coordinating security policies with Washington and other international powers.

Analysts say Chinese loans in recent years have allowed authoritarian leaders to consolidate power in Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, and have separately generated corruption scandals that brought down the presidents of Ecuador and Argentina.

But there is also a clear security element coursing through Beijing’s approach. Chinese officials obtained key concessions from Buenos Aires to build a satellite tracking station after engineering a $10 billion currency swap in 2009 that allowed then-Argentine President Cristina Kirchner to stabilize her national currency amid a financial crisis in the country.

Posted by Besoeker 2018-08-18 06:52|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 Let them spend their resources on unstable and economically stagnate 3rd world s***holes.

Posted by Procopius2k 2018-08-18 07:50|| 2018-08-18 07:50|| Front Page Top

#2 China is establishing control over strategic resources wherever it can. It also has a long history of taking over as the merchant class in third world countries. They play a very strong long game.

Posted by Glenmore 2018-08-18 09:31|| 2018-08-18 09:31|| Front Page Top

#3 Venezuela: "Look! Chinese ~~merchants~~ food!"

Posted by Frank G 2018-08-18 10:05|| 2018-08-18 10:05|| Front Page Top

#4 Frank: China buys Venezuelan oil at something like a third of the market price and resells it to the US at the market price, as the terms of the loans they give to them to keep the economy afloat. Venezuela is basically a Chinese colony now, one where members of the Chinese Communist Party are allowed to make real money but native Venezuelans aren't.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2018-08-18 12:09|| 2018-08-18 12:09|| Front Page Top

#5 nothing new here, start reading up on your Chinese history gentlemen

Posted by 746 2018-08-18 12:21|| 2018-08-18 12:21|| Front Page Top

#6 Yeah, but given the history of turmoil in South America, investments from the Chinese could turn around and dry up in a hurry. They have no force projection there. To the locals, it's just the new Power to mooch off of. Same as always.

Posted by Charles 2018-08-18 12:30|| 2018-08-18 12:30|| Front Page Top

#7 They have special forces in Venezuela, I would presume to provide backup for the rent-a-thugs from Cuba providing backups to all the national guard guys who actually get food for being pro-regime thugs.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2018-08-18 13:10|| 2018-08-18 13:10|| Front Page Top

#8 When they and their families get ~~slaughtered~~ whacked, we'll know it's Societal Game On™

Posted by Frank G 2018-08-18 16:46|| 2018-08-18 16:46|| Front Page Top

#9 How nations fail

Posted by Alaska Paul 2018-08-18 17:34|| 2018-08-18 17:34|| Front Page Top

#10 Abandoned because payments on our debt don't allow us to give them money anymore, maybe?

Posted by gorb 2018-08-18 22:27|| 2018-08-18 22:27|| Front Page Top

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