Trending Now - Trump Calls for Latin America to Limit Ties With China
WHO:
President Trump
Nicolás Maduro, then-President of Venezuela
Francisco Urdinez, associate professor at the Political Science Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Rebecca Ray, senior academic researcher at Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center
Rep. John Moolenaar, Michigan Republican and chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
Enrique Millán-Mejía, senior fellow on economic development at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center
José Raúl Mulino, President of Panama
WHAT:
The U.S. imposed travel bans on three Chilean officials over a potential submarine fiber optic cable construction with China.
The Panamanian government seized two ports at either end of the Panama Canal that were previously run by a Hong Kong company.
The U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
President Trump is hosting a summit called the “Shield of Americas” for Latin American leaders at his golf resort near Miami on March 6, 2026.
Between 2014 and 2023, China provided approximately $153 billion in loans and grants to Latin America and the Caribbean, while the U.S. provided about $50.7 billion.
Five countries in the region (Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras) have broken ties with Taiwan since 2016.
Seven of the 12 countries that still recognize Taiwan's statehood are in Latin America.
WHERE:
Latin America
Panama Canal
Miami, Florida
Chancay, Peru (location of a Chinese-built port)
WHEN:
The travel bans were imposed in early 2026.
The summit is scheduled for March 6, 2026.
The U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
The National Security Strategy was released in December 2025.
Urdinez's book “Economic Displacement: China and the End of US Primacy in Latin America” was published in 2026.
WHY:
The U.S. aims to curb China's influence and economic dominance in Latin America.
Concerns over China's potential military use of the Chinese-built port in Chancay, Peru.
The U.S. seeks to restore its preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.
HOW:
The U.S. is using travel bans and diplomatic pressure to influence Latin American countries.
The Panamanian government acted under pressure from President Trump regarding the Panama Canal.
China has established itself as a significant economic player in Latin America through loans and investments.
Today, President Trump is hosting a summit called the “Shield of Americas” for Latin American leaders at his golf resort near Miami, as the U.S. recently imposed travel bans on three Chilean officials over concerns about a potential submarine fiber optic cable construction with China. In a significant development, the U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro in January, while the Panamanian government seized two ports at either end of the Panama Canal that were previously managed by a Hong Kong company, acting under pressure from Trump. This comes amid rising concerns about China's growing influence in the region, where it has provided around $153 billion in loans and grants to Latin America and the Caribbean between 2014 and 2023, compared to the U.S. contribution of about $50.7 billion.