In early March 2023, General Laura Richardson, head of the United States Southern Command, told a U.S. congressional hearing that Chinese actions in South America posed a threat to U.S. safety. According to General Richardson, China is on a relentless march to replace the United States as the leader in the region.
While China’s presence in the region has grown substantially in the past decade, it is unlikely that China will replace the U.S. as the dominant political, economic, and military power in Latin America for the foreseeable future.
