Gabriel Boric and Joe Biden. (Photo: Fernando Ramirez, prensa.presidencia.cl)
A pending tax accord with Chile will allow Washington to deepen ties with the region’s “new left,” writes AS/COA’s Steve Liston in the World Politics Review.
Concerns about strategic competition with China are palpable in Washington these days. But an effective strategy to combat China’s aggressive and coordinated global operations has so far eluded U.S. policymakers. Nowhere is this more true than in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the combination of China’s economic expansion and the renaissance of the left has weakened Washington’s influence in recent years.
The good news is that real opportunities exist for the United States to deepen its ties to the region, including with some newly elected leftist leaders. A case in point is Chile, where President Gabriel Boric won elections last year after campaigning on a progressive, leftist platform. However Boric has proven willing to compromise since taking office in March, has not shown the anti-Americanism that many leftists in the region are turning to, and He was also very vocal in condemning the violation of human rights on the left and on the left. well. A pending tax treaty with Chile will give Washington an opportunity to improve the competitiveness of U.S. companies. an important regional economy, while helping to develop ties with the “new side” of the area.
Latin America has often received short shrift from U.S. foreign policy. Today, this is inexcusable, as Westerners support widespread democracy and market-led economies, are managers of important strategic resources, and are encouraged by China as Beijing seeks to increase the presence of it worldwide. […]
