Author: Alonso Illueca
Alonso E. Illueca is an associate professor at Universidad Santa María La Antigua, where he teaches International Law and Human Rights. He has also served as adjunct faculty at Universidad del Istmo and Universidad de Panamá. He is a partner at Bufete Illueca, Attorneys at Law. Previously, he was an Op-Ed columnist for La Prensa newspaper and a member of the Board of Directors of Transparency International - Panama Chapter and of the Museum of Freedom and Human Rights.
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How China Became Part of Peru’s Political Crisis
In mid-February, Peruvian president José Jerí was removed from his position of head of state after only four months in office. The ousting wasn’t particularly shocking. Peru has experienced a prolonged governance crisis, with seven presidents cycling through office over the last ten years, the shortest tenure ...
Related Posts
China Was Not Absent From the Shield of the Americas Summit
In early March, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted 12 Latin American leaders for the “Shield of the Americas” Summit. There was much speculation around the summit’s objectives: some viewed it simply as an opportunity to gather Latin American leaders aligned with Trump for a photo-op. Others thought ...
What’s Behind the Submarine Cables Tying Up Chile’s Presidential Transition
A political transition is underway in Chile this week. President-elect José Kast will be sworn in on Wednesday, and Chile’s long-standing commercial relationship with China will be put to the test. Just days before the inauguration, a dispute about a ...
What to Watch After China’s Strategic Setback at the Panama Canal
On Thursday last week, Panama’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling that was felt in some of the highest offices in both Beijing and Washington. The court declared that the concession granting control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based ...
U.S. Defense Strategy Signals a Harder Line on China in Latin America
In January, the Trump Administration published its 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS). The document, which was released without fanfare, confirms that a strategic shift is well underway in the Western Hemisphere, and Latin American and Caribbean states are on the receiving end of that shift.
A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion with lands aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland during flight deck operations in the Pacific Ocean. Image via the U.S. Marine Corps.
In this edition of M&M, I want to examine one of the most common claims not only in Vietnam’s foreign policy circle but also in that of the United States. The United States is a Pacific power with an extensive network of alliances and bases across the Indo-Pacific, and its exercise ...
How China Became Part of Peru’s Political Crisis
In mid-February, Peruvian president José Jerí was removed from his position of head of state after only four months in office. The ousting wasn’t particularly shocking. Peru has experienced a prolonged governance crisis, with seven presidents cycling through office over the last ten years, the shortest tenure ...
China Was Not Absent From the Shield of the Americas Summit
In early March, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted 12 Latin American leaders for the “Shield of the Americas” Summit. There was much speculation around the summit’s objectives: some viewed it simply as an opportunity to gather Latin American leaders aligned with Trump for a photo-op. Others thought ...
What’s Behind the Submarine Cables Tying Up Chile’s Presidential Transition
A political transition is underway in Chile this week. President-elect José Kast will be sworn in on Wednesday, and Chile’s long-standing commercial relationship with China will be put to the test. Just days before the inauguration, a dispute about a ...
What to Watch After China’s Strategic Setback at the Panama Canal
On Thursday last week, Panama’s Supreme Court delivered a ruling that was felt in some of the highest offices in both Beijing and Washington. The court declared that the concession granting control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports to Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based ...
U.S. Defense Strategy Signals a Harder Line on China in Latin America
In January, the Trump Administration published its 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS). The document, which was released without fanfare, confirms that a strategic shift is well underway in the Western Hemisphere, and Latin American and Caribbean states are on the receiving end of that shift.
China’s 2026 Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean
2025 was a rather tumultuous year for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Donald Trump’s return to the White House exacerbated geopolitical dynamics in the region, particularly in the realm of the U.S.-China strategic competition. From tariffs to claims that China ...
Why Honduras’ Presidential Election Matters for China and Taiwan
More than three weeks after elections were held, Honduras still does not have a new president. Nasry Asfura of the conservative National Party leads by a narrow margin, with roughly 43,000 more votes than his closest competitor, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party. ...
Panama’s Diplomatic Tightrope: One China, Beijing’s Red Lines, and the Politics of a Taiwan Trip
On November 13, 2025, amid reports of a possible visit by members of Panama’s National Assembly to Taiwan, the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino tweeted that such a trip did not have the support or approval of his government. The tweet triggered a chain of ...
Chile’s Election Puts China’s Lithium Ambitions to the Test
The Lithium Triangle is one of the most important geostrategic sectors in the Latin American landscape. Spanning through Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, the Lithium Triangle is home to between 60 to 75% of the earth’s known lithium reserves and is the centerpiece of the global energy ...
China and LAC at Odds: Blue Diplomacy in the Era of IUU Fishing
In China’s engagement with the Global South, climate diplomacy is one area where Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries play a particularly decisive role. The Global South is set to be disproportionately affected by climate change, yet its governments must negotiate solutions with the world’s largest emitters—China ...
Balancing Giants: APEC, the Pacific Alliance, and Latin America’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
The 2025 APEC Summit, held in early November in Gyeongju, South Korea, came to a close with a hopeful image: a renewed spirit of dialogue between the United States and China following a bilateral meeting between President Trump and President Xi.
Swapping Sides: How a U.S. Bailout Could Shift Argentina’s Geostrategic Compass
Since day one of the Trump administration, the United States has sought to reassert its presence and tighten its influence in Latin America. In doing so, Washington is working to push back against what it perceives as China’s growing preeminence in the region — a rise made ...