Rift between US and Colombia, threats of tariffs on Mexico, designs on Panama Canal and mass deportations could encourage closer ties with Beijing

LSE IDEAS analyse China’s growing presence in Latin America concerning trade, diplomacy, and strategic influence

While Rubio’s anti-China rhetoric aligns with Washington’s broader geopolitical goals, the tools at his disposal are insufficient to match Beijing’s economic engagement.

Trump’s uncharitable rhetoric and less-than-civilised treatment of illegal immigrants are, at the very least, likely to fuel more anti-American sentiment in the region. This resentment towards the US may well manifest in building bridges with governments and ideologies that are inimical to US interests.

The U.S. embassy in Bogota canceled appointments for Colombians hoping to get visas to enter the United States. The move was the Trump administration’s response to short-lived resistance by the Colombian government to accept deportation flights.

Trump clamped 25 per cent tariffs on trade with Colombia and imposed visa and other sanctions on Sunday after leftwing President Gustavo Petro turned back US military flights deporting migrants. The confrontation ended within hours after Bogotá caved in to Washington’s demands.

An outdoor screen in Beijing shows a news program about Chinese President ... "To start with, he talks about putting America first. And he also fought a trade war with China. These are the two things that left the deepest impression on me," Zhang Yu ...

Marco Rubio, Trump's secretary of state, spoke about China’s influence in the region and zeroed in on Mexico, Venezuela, and Cuba.

Trump’s threats against Panama, Canada and Greenland, albeit unachievable, lay the groundwork for a more “rational” strategy of targeting China and singling out real adversaries such as Cuba and Venezuela.

China's expanding footprint in Latin America is expected to be high on the agenda when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Panama next week on his first overseas trip since taking office, according to observers.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to Central America, including Panama, is partially about countering China, a State Department spokesperson told Fox Business, as new President Donald Trump is pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal.

In a region no stranger to imperialist posturing and malign meddling there is a wariness over Washington’s rekindled interest. Foreign