For decades, Ecuador was perceived as an exception in a region plagued by drug trafficking, armed violence, and criminal capture of the state. While neighboring countries faced open wars between cartels and state forces, Ecuador seemed to remain on the sidelines of these dynamics. That image began to slowly crack [ … ]
Since January 2024, Ecuador has ceased to be a peripheral actor on the regional security map and has become a hemispheric concern. President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of an internal armed conflict and the designation of 22 criminal groups as terrorist organizations marked a turning point in the face of violence [ … ]
Gold has become the new lifeblood flowing through the veins of the Nicolás Maduro regime. With the oil industry collapsing and international sanctions restricting access to foreign currency, the Venezuelan regime has found in the extractive industry a critical alternative revenue stream and a mechanism for political control. The Orinoco [ … ]
The inauguration of the Chancay megaport in Peru in November 2024, presided over by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping and then President Dina Boluarte, was hailed by Beijing as a landmark achievement for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Latin America. With an investment of $3.5 [ … ]
In just two decades, China has gone from being an emerging economic partner to a key player in Latin America. Its investments in ports, power grids, and infrastructure have consolidated its influence in the region. But alongside this visible progress, another has unfolded in the shadows: the expansion of Chinese [ … ]
In just two decades, China’s presence in Latin America has grown at a pace that is as overwhelming as it is strategic. Like a patient player in a long game, Beijing has managed to position itself in key sectors, reconfiguring the region’s economic and geopolitical landscape in its favor. According [ … ]
The partnership between the United States and Panama is rooted in a longstanding history, one that has evolved from a traditional diplomatic relationship into a dynamic, multifaceted alliance. Today, it stands as a living collaboration built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to improving the well-being of the Panamanian [ … ]
At the start of the 21st century, when Ecuador was facing the closure of Western financing due to high debt, China burst onto the scene with million-dollar loans, promises of accelerated development, and a seductive discourse of cooperation between equals. The offer was as timely as it was strategic. Today, [ … ]
In late 2024, Ecuador underwent an unprecedented energy crisis, with electricity rationing of up to 14 hours a day. Although the main causes have been attributed to drought and low river flows due to global warming, another factor is aggravating the situation: the low-yield, China-built hydroelectric plants. Martin Brown, a [ … ]
In the last decade, China has significantly strengthened its penetration in the Caribbean, driven by a strategic combination of economic investments, diplomatic initiatives, and infrastructure projects. In 2018, Trinidad and Tobago became the first island country to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), followed by Suriname, Guyana, Dominica, Antigua [ … ]
In November 2024, the relationship between Peru and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) took a decisive turn with the inauguration of the Chancay Multipurpose Port Terminal. This ambitious project, majority owned by the Chinese state-owned Cosco Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), was presented as a transformational milestone for the Peruvian [ … ]
The year 2024 marked a turning point in the relations between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Peru. While at the global level countries such as those of the European Union, Canada, and the United States have been implementing measures to curb China’s advance, the PRC consolidated its control [ … ]
For more on security and defense issues around the globe, click on the links below:
