The recent problems of China’s mega-port project in Chancay, Peru, renewed concerns about Chinese companies’ shoddy workmanship as well as China’s true motives behind its strong participation in what is envisioned as a major trading hub in the region. In mid-May, following a landslide at one of the port’s tunnel [ … ]
In early June, Argentine Governor of Tierra del Fuego Gustavo Melella revived an old controversy concerning a deal with a Chinese company to build a multipurpose port in Rio Grande. The controversy was reignited when Melella presented the memorandum of understanding he had signed with Shaanxi Chemical Industry Group to [ … ]
Beijing is seeking to position itself as a leader in the electricity sector in Latin America through strategic investments and acquisitions, taking advantage of gaps left by other companies, Uruguayan news site Latinoamérica 21 reported. “This could generate technological and economic dependency on China, which would allow Beijing to become [ … ]
The U.S. Navy expeditionary fast transport USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) will deploy to Latin America and the Caribbean over the next two months as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2023 mission. Detailed planning has wrapped up for the USNS Burlington to visit Panama, Colombia, [ … ]
China and Cuba have reached a secret agreement whereby Beijing will install a new electronic espionage base in Cuban territory that will intercept communications of all kinds. As compensation for the “permission” Beijing will pay billions of dollars to the Cuban regime, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). “The [ … ]
Multiple murders, prison riots, extortion, killings, and clashes among criminal groups have driven up violence rates in Honduras. Collective homicides marked June as the country’s most brutal month of the year, with a total of 151 violent deaths, including 46 women murdered at the end of the month at the [ … ]
Chinese companies seeking to gain control of Latin America’s lithium reserves have an advantage against which U.S. and European companies cannot compete: A general willingness to ignore international anti-corruption rules, experts say. This willingness is systematic and aimed at gaining a dominant role in key electronics industries, including the manufacture [ … ]
The Panamanian government has deployed 1,200 members of its security forces in the Darién jungle, on the border with Colombia, to combat transnational criminal groups that plague this inhospitable area in the middle of the South American drug and arms trafficking route. Crimes in recent weeks in the region clearly [ … ]
Chinese companies backed by their government’s privileged access to state capital finance, build, and operate numerous ports around the world. These operations generate a series of enormous risks for host port states, a recent report published by peer-reviewed journal Marine Policy indicated. Over the past decade, China has made significant [ … ]
The Colombian Navy continues to deal hard blows to narcotrafficking with the mid-July seizure of 261 tons of narcotics — 183 tons of cocaine, 58 tons of marijuana, and 20 tons of coca base paste. Its success is due to the dedication, training, and education of its teams and the [ … ]
In the months following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua deepened its position in at least seven Latin American countries, with the consent of the Nicolás Maduro regime. According to nongovernmental organization (NGO) Transparencia Venezuela, the Tren de Aragua can be described as a “mega-gang,” which [ … ]
The unwillingness of Chinese company Guyana Manganese Inc. (GMI) to repair a dam it damaged in 2021 is sparking great controversy in Guyana. Despite receiving clear instructions from Guyanese President Irfaan Ali to repair the dam in Matthews Ridge, Northwest District Region One, which damages are severely affecting the community, [ … ]
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