A New U.S. Agenda in the Western Hemisphere

T he United States faces a growing bloc of anti-American, authoritarian regimes in Latin America and the Caribbean. The resurgence of strongman and far-left leaders, combined with Chinese and Russian influence in our region, presents serious threats to our economic and security interests. To chart a course consistent with and supportive of American interests in the region, the U.S. will need to help build a new coalition of like-minded governments in the Western Hemisphere.

Our region is in a period of extraordinary upheaval. Ignoring the situation poses real risks and invites destructive consequences. A host of economic problems, exacerbated by Covid-19, have placed extraordinary burdens on many countries. Desperate for change, voters are turning to the hollow promises of authoritarians and leftists — in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and most recently, Honduras.

Beijing and Moscow see this and are seizing the opportunity to grab more power in our hemisphere. The Chinese Communist Party’s Belt and Road Initiative, which uses massive infrastructure loans and projects to lure nations into economic and political dependency, has now spread beyond Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela to places like Argentina, Brazil, Barbados, and Panama. Meanwhile, Russia offers its own aid to Latin American countries in the form of energy cooperation and military support, recently threatening troop deployments to Cuba and Venezuela.

Further authoritarian and leftist victories in the Western Hemisphere would be disastrous for our nation. Chaos in Latin America and the Caribbean would give cartels greater operating freedom to send drugs and violence across our border. If more countries go the way of Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, we will see massive new waves of illegal immigration and human trafficking, too. We simply can’t afford to let anti-American regimes absorb our region into their private political-economic bloc.

To counter the rising authoritarian axis in our hemisphere, the U.S. needs a stronger agenda for protecting and advancing our national interests.

First, the U.S. needs to cooperate more closely with our allies in the region in security and anti-narcotics. Senator Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) and I have introduced the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act to do just that. This bill will enable the U.S. to more effectively resist drug-traffickers and authoritarian governments, including those of China and Russia, through bilateral and multilateral arrangements with other regional powers.

Second, America needs to expand its trade network in the Western Hemisphere. Our dependence on China has turned our corporations into Beijing’s lobbyists and propagandists. As the 2020 medical-equipment shortages and the ongoing supply-chain crisis reveal, it’s also robbed us of our economic independence and resilience. While we should bring as much manufacturing back to the U.S. as possible, expanding production in Latin America and the Caribbean will also be beneficial.

Supporting the Inter-American Development Bank’s capital increase, for instance, will reaffirm U.S. leadership in the region and counter China’s predatory schemes against our allies. Similarly, my bipartisan Haitian Economic Lift Program Extension Act will reduce America’s reliance on clothes and footwear made with Uyghur slave labor in China by encouraging American businesses to source these goods from Haiti. Building up the Haitian economy will reduce illegal activity, including illegal immigration into the U.S.

Initiatives like these, which encourage private investment in our own hemisphere, promise significant benefits. They offer freedom from the Chinese Communist Party’s subversive influence, as well as a stronger, more resilient national economy. They also offer stable growth and development for our neighbors in the region.

Finally, the White House needs to support our allies in Latin America and the Caribbean in their efforts to reach internal stability. COVID-19 has placed extraordinary strain on the health-care systems and economies of our southern neighbors. Meanwhile, government corruption and unequal economic development continue to sow discord. International education and targeted aid, such as Covid-19 vaccine shipments, will help alleviate these problems.

Russia and China are not active in Latin America and the Caribbean to make life better for the U.S. or other countries in our region. They care about power and influence, not stability and economic development. We need to move fast and act smart to fill the current leadership void.

The U.S. will not win favor with our allies by lecturing them about climate change and various woke priorities, or by making one-sided demands. The Biden administration needs to start offering a real partnership with these countries, and that begins with targeted assistance and bilateral economic negotiations. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.