China and Russia are advancing in the region and the United States fears

A recent note from Bloomberg Markets is taking investments China In Jujuy as an example of the scope and depth of its relations with South America. Links have been established not only with national governments but also with local governments, the proof of which is that in 2019 alone, eight governors and four deputy governors Brazil They visited China. And in this area there has been reciprocity, because since 2012,Xi Jinping He visited the area 11 times and Donald Trump did so only once. BidenAt the moment, he does not have any flights on the agenda.

China’s presence in Latin america It is linked to its strategy of being a global player and getting closer to those countries that can provide the raw materials they need.. In this case, there is economic integration, but at the expense of the effect on industrial development, which does not happen in the case of United State. But it is not limited to the region because two-thirds of the world’s countries have China as their main trading partner, and the United States had a bilateral trade deficit of $355 billion in 2021.

With the exception of Colombia, all countries in the region have more trade with China than the United States, and the world’s second largest economy is the main destination for its exports, with the exception of the case of Argentina, which is still Brazil. However, during the last visit Alberto Fernandez To China Argentina committed itself to the Silk Road, something neither Mexico nor Brazil have yet done. The move will include China’s financing of infrastructure projects of about $24,000 million. All of Latin America is full of projects implemented by Chinese companies and therefore their impact will be constant.

The United States wants to reduce the presence of its competitor in Latin America, and the technological issue is fundamental in this regard, but it must have a clear strategy to achieve this, which is a challenge for Washington.

Also Russia

Jair Bolsonaro And Alberto Fernandez do not agree on anything, but both decided to visit Vladimir Putin a few days later. This congruence between heads of state with the largest economies in South America is noted with concern in Washington, where they are alert to the Russian presence in the region. Even more so at a time of enormous tension in the relationship between the United States and Russia over Ukraine.

But Russian influence in the region may be more important politically than economically. Putin is supportive of those dictatorial governments that have an ambivalent relationship with the United States, such as the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and through them he intends to have a greater political presence in Latin America.

But when it comes to numbers, Russia’s importance in the region fades, both in terms of investment and trade. According to a Harvard University report, cited by the New York Times, in the year before the South American epidemic, it exported $5 billion to Russia, $66 billion to the United States, and $119 billion to China.

In a region that needs investments and dollars, this data is important and crucial in determining its communication strategies with the world.