Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—indirectly underwritten by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and with the Western response hampered by the threat of nuclear war—highlights a world transitioning away from the institutional, economic, and ideological order that has prevailed since the end of World War II. The transition will have significant and grave implications, and [ … ]
China
Chinese Waste Pollutes Galápagos Islands
The Chinese fleet that periodically threatens the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador goes beyond engaging in predatory fishing that plunders the oceans of Latin America. The vessels also throw tons of waste into the sea, killing wildlife, polluting the waters, and destroying an ecosystem that is home to more than 7,000 [ … ]
US Warns of Growing Influence of Russia and China in Latin America
The U.S. government remains vigilant to the movements of Russia and China in the southern part of the American continent. On March 24, during a hearing before the U.S. Senate, General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), warned about the “aggressive expansion” of both countries in the [ … ]
China Sells Bad Military Equipment to Good Friends
A K-8 Karakorum two-seat single-engine jet trainer and light attack aircraft, which was on a night training mission, crashed on September 20, 2021 north of Omdurman, on the west bank of the Nile, in Sudan, The Defense Post reported. The accident — which killed two pilots —was due to a technical [ … ]
Peru Jails Shark Fin Traffickers for the First Time
Continued demand for shark fin soup, dumplings, and other related dishes served in restaurants around the world — particularly in China — perpetuates the practice of finning, which consists of removing fins from sharks and discarding the rest of the animal back into the ocean. The sharks are often still alive when discarded, but [ … ]
China Negatively Impacts Peru’s Chancay Port
Hundreds of Peruvian citizens protested February 18 in front of the offices of Chinese state-owned company Cosco Shipping Ports in Chancay, Peru, “due to the constant explosions it carries out to modify the bay” to build a megaport in the city, said the Peruvian nongovernmental organization (NGO) CooperAcción, which promotes [ … ]
Ecuador Expands Protected Marine Area in Galapagos
On January 14, 2022, Ecuador formalized an expansion of 60,000 square kilometers in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which will add to the 138,000 km2 of existing protected areas. The new marine reserve was named Hermandad (Brotherhood). Conservationists believe that this initiative is an important step to protect the marine richness [ … ]
Chinese Influence Operations: A Machiavellian Moment
For a long time, it could be said that China, unlike Russia, sought to be loved rather than to be feared; that it wanted to seduce, project a positive image of itself in the world, and arouse admiration. Today, Beijing has not given up on seduction, on its attractiveness, and [ … ]
Illegal Trade of Jaguar Parts Bound for China Threatens Survival of the Species
Loss of habitat through deforestation, lack of natural prey, and revenge killings from ranchers for livestock predation have for decades been among the major causes of the jaguar population decline in Central and South America. Since the mid-2010s, however, another factor has been threatening the large cat species with extinction: [ … ]
Chinese Fishing Fleet Wreaks Havoc in Latin American Oceans
This year will be no exception when it comes to the Chinese fishing fleet’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices in the territorial waters of Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador, the Argentine independent journalism site Urgente 24 said on January 3, 2022. “It is estimated that 450 vessels will be [ … ]
China Cements Ties with Venezuela through Arms Sales
China continues to be the most important supplier of weapons systems to Venezuela, Venezuelan nongovernmental Organization (NGO) Control Ciudadano revealed in its November 2021 report Bolivarian Armed Forces, Acquisition, Reception, and Incorporation of Weapons and Military Equipment, 2017-2021 Period. According to the report, China and Russia have remained as the [ … ]
Leather Production in Brazil Affects the Environment, with China as Main Buyer of the Product
Most of the leather produced in Brazil, about 80 percent, is sold abroad, with China as the main buyer, acquiring more than 27 percent of the material. The issue, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, in Portuguese), is that of the five main states that supply [ … ]