Browsing: Strategic Influence

China’s penetration through universities, Confucius Institutes, collaborations with the academic world, scholarships, and international forums is growing in Latin America. The purposes are manifold, ranging from consensus building to industrial and military espionage, but the impact on the region is significant. In addition to compromising countries’ national and economic security, China undermines democracy in the region through propaganda and disinformation.…

The accelerated implementation of China-linked infrastructure projects across Latin America is increasingly challenging institutional oversight mechanisms during execution. This model, which prioritizes rapid delivery, often compresses evaluation and monitoring processes, affecting transparency and long-term sustainability. In countries facing institutional and oversight challenges, analysts warn that accelerated implementation can reduce opportunities for technical review, public scrutiny, and comprehensive oversight. While accelerated…

China is carrying out an expansive effort to strengthen its position across the world’s oceans, driven by both strategic military interests and the search for critical seabed resources. Recent investigations and maritime tracking data indicate that Beijing has deployed a broad network of underwater mapping and surveillance activities spanning the Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans. Analysts say the information collected…

With global consumption of river and marine sand hovering around 50 billion tons per year, international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have long warned of the risk of depletion and the serious environmental consequences tied to its growing scarcity. In this context, China stands as the world’s leading consumer, whose vast and sustained demand has already…

Venezuela’s recent diplomatic realignment with the United States has forced Russia and Iran — along with longtime regional ally Cuba — to reposition their influence operations after losing one of their most important footholds in Latin America. Today, however, these campaigns have become increasingly more sophisticated and harder to counter than in the past. Their objective is no longer limited…

A growing international coalition of governments, civil society organizations, and fishing-sector stakeholders is calling for stronger controls on China’s distant-water fishing fleet operating in the South Pacific. Their concerns go beyond sustainability. The expansion of China’s fleet has increasingly raised questions about maritime security, high seas governance, and the ability of coastal states to safeguard their sovereignty and economic interests…

The case of the Port of Chancay, developed by the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping, has sparked legal and political controversy in Peru. Following a court ruling that excludes it from oversight by the Supervisory Agency for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (Ositrán), risks to the country’s sovereignty, geopolitical stability, and institutional fragility have come into sharper focus. This conflict,…

A network of ground stations and satellite tracking centers linked to China is expanding in Latin America. Although many of these projects are presented under the banner of scientific or commercial cooperation, their development coincides with the advancement of China’s space capabilities, raising concerns about their potential dual-use nature and implications for regional security. In its report, Pulling Latin America…

Chinese mining companies are steadily expanding their presence in Latin America, acquiring major mineral assets across the region and consolidating their position in the gold sector. As global competition for natural resources intensifies and gold prices remain elevated, Chinese state-linked mining groups are accelerating efforts to secure control over significant deposits in South America. For governments and industry observers in…