China invested for two decades while Washington looked away. Now Uruguay warns Europe to ratify Mercosur or lose South America to Beijing. A hard look at how Washington, Brussels, and China have approached Latin America, and why America needs a real Latin America strategy before it loses the hemisphere for good, before it is too late.
On July 1, 2026, the U.S. officially refused to renew USMCA. "The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form," said USTR Jamieson Greer. The trade deficit is Trump's primary concern: 197,000 million dollars with Mexico plus 46,000 million with Canada in 2025, more than double what it was when USMCA took effect.
On June 29, 2026, Peru's ONPE completed the official vote count confirming Keiko Fujimori wins with 50.13%. Her fourth attempt at the presidency. Her first win. The JNE will officially proclaim her president-elect on July 3. Behind her: Sendero's terror, nine presidents in ten years, Rolexgate, Chifagate, and a crime crisis that shocked even Peruvians.
Peru's Chancay port ruling on June 19, 2026 handed the Peruvian government a first-instance win over COSCO Shipping, a company the Pentagon officially classifies as a Chinese Military Company. But COSCO is already appealing, a bigger battle over general port oversight is still alive, and Keiko Fujimori may soon inherit the whole dispute.
Chile just offered Argentina its Pacific ports to ship Vaca Muerta gas to Asia, a defensive move against Peru's Chinese-built Chancay megaport. The Chile China corridor story also touches lithium, a surging Chinese fishing fleet, and a submarine cable fight that disrupted Chile's own presidential transition. Here is the full picture.
A deal to modernize Peru's naval base, backed by the United States, will upgrade Callao for $1,500 million, fully paid by Peru's own bonds, zero U.S. taxpayer dollars. Just 80 kilometers away, China's Cosco Shipping controls the Chancay megaport after a court ruling limited Peru's oversight. Keiko Fujimori, a likely incoming president, would push for closer defense ties with the United States and would scrutinize more closely China's role in Peru .
Brazil's President Lula publicly attacked Trump and Rubio after the US proposed new 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lula called Rubio "anti-Latin American" and Trump "the emperor of the world." Behind the outburst: tariffs, Bolsonaro's sons visiting Washington, and a socialist leader losing his leverage.
China's proposed Brazil-Peru railway is a massive infrastructure project designed to bypass the Panama Canal and secure resources for Beijing. While leftist leaders like Lula ignore national sovereignty, this Belt and Road scheme threatens U.S. security and pristine ecosystems. Discover why this rapidly expands Chinese regional power.
U.S. intelligence confirms the Cuba drone threat is real. Cuba has stockpiled 300+ attack drones supplied by Russia and Iran, targeting Guantanamo Bay and Key West. CIA Director Ratcliffe flew to Havana demanding regime change. The DOJ is preparing to indict Raúl Castro. The Cuba-Russia-Iran axis operates 90 miles from American soil.
Huawei is untrustworthy — that is what U.S. Ambassador Cabrera told Panama publicly. China erupted. But Panama just suffered cyberattacks on its Social Security system and Commerce Ministry. Huawei's founder is a former Chinese military engineer. Now his company operates near the Panama Canal. This is not business. It is a threat.
China's embassy in Buenos Aires sent three diplomats to the Universidad de Belgrano, forcing cancellation of a book event critical of Beijing. U.S. Ambassador Lamelas warned this was coming. Beijing attacked him for it. Now we see why. Sharp power is real — and it is operating in America's backyard.
