Could US bullying push Latin America towards China’s transition pipeline?
The US State Department posted a video in early August detailing the Monroe Doctrine, which the Trump administration cites to assert dominance over Latin America. China has become the region's second-largest trading partner and top creditor, with investments in lithium mines, megaports, and a proposed transcontinental railway. The US has pressured Latin American countries, including threatening visa revocations in Argentina and influencing Chile to scrap an undersea cable project, while China's ambassador to Chile accused the US of 'coercive diplomacy'.
Why it matters: This dynamic illustrates the theme of great-power competition over critical minerals and infrastructure in the energy transition.