With U.S.-South Africa ties in the deep freeze, it was notable to see the sheer size of the U.S. delegation sent to this week’s Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the most prominent industry gatherings and one of the few where the Global South gets a prominent voice.
The Trump administration’s famous Afrophobia seems (momentarily at least) tempered by its greed for minerals. It is reportedly walking ...
Category: Latin America
U.S. Wants China Out of Latin America. Is that Even Possible?
The Panamanian government formally took over the two ports operated by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison this week at both ends of the Panama Canal. U.S. officials celebrated the move as part of their larger effort to expel China from the Western ...
The Paradox of Panama’s “Rule of Law”: Hutchison Ports vs. Minera Panama
In the wake of the forced transition at the ports of Balboa and Cristóbal, Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha sent a clear message to the international community: Panama is a country of legal certainty, and the government is "simply respecting a Supreme Court ruling" regarding the ouster ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Latin America Split Over How to Counter China’s Steel Surge
Argentina terminated anti-dumping duties on Chinese aluminum foil, removing trade barriers that had restricted shipments from China and reopening the market to Chinese producers. The move marks a notable shift in South America’s trade posture toward Chinese industrial exports, even as ...
Panama Wrests Control of Canal Ports From Hong Kong Group
Panamanian authorities took control Monday of two ports on the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison after the Hong Kong-based conglomerate's concession was annulled amid a row between the United States and China. "The Panama Maritime Authority has taken possession of its ...
Peru Congress Ousts President Jeri Because of China-Linked Secret Meetings
Peru’s Congress on Tuesday ousted President Jose Jeri just four months into his term over a scandal involving undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman. The move will likely extend a cycle of political upheaval that has gripped the Andean nation for much of the past decade.
Panama and the New U.S. Strategy to Counter China in Latin America
The Panama Supreme Court’s ruling against Hutchison Ports in late January was not merely an isolated legal event; it was the successful proof-of-concept for a new geopolitical weapon. What appears on the surface to be a dispute over contracts from ...
U.S. Warns on Chinese Energy Role During High-Level Venezuela Visit
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright urged expanded American investment in Venezuela’s oil and gas sector during the highest-level U.S. energy-focused visit to the country in nearly three decades, following its invasion in January. He cautioned Venezuelan leaders against what Washington frames as ...
Chinese Scholar Warns of Latin America’s ‘Resource Nationalism,’ Urging Firms to Brace for Political Risk
An analysis from China’s most influential public policy think tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, warned of Latin America’s trend of drifting back towards what it called “resource nationalism” and urged Chinese companies to strengthen risk safeguards measures. ...
Hong Kong Summons Panama Envoy Over CK Hutchison Ports Ruling
Hong Kong's commerce chief on Friday summoned the Panamanian Consul General in the city to condemn a court ruling that annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. The move came after China's Hong Kong and Macau ...
Panama Rejects Chinese Threats Over Canal Port Dispute
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Wednesday strongly rejected China's warning that Panama would pay a "heavy price" after the Supreme Court invalidated Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's concession to operate two strategic ports on the Panama Canal. The court ruled the contract unconstitutional, citing disproportionate favoritism toward the ...
Panama Hits Back After China Warns of ‘Heavy Price’ in Ports Row
Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday rejected China's threat to make the Central American country pay a "heavy price" after a Hong Kong company was evicted from two ports on the Panama Canal. Writing on X, Mulino "strongly" rejected the ...
CK Hutchison Begins Arbitration Against Panama Over Annulled Canal Contract
Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison said in a statement Tuesday it has initiated international arbitration against Panama, after a ruling by the country's top court annulled a concession allowing it to operate ports at the Panama Canal. Panama's Supreme Court last ...
China Warns Panama of ‘Heavy Prices’ to Pay After CK Hutchison Contract Quashed
China warned Panama on Tuesday there would be "heavy prices" to pay after a court ruling there annulled Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison's contract to operate two ports at the Panama Canal. China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office called the ruling ...
China Calls Panama Court Ruling on CK Hutchison Port Contracts ‘Shameful, Pathetic’
China on Tuesday called a Panama court ruling annulling CK Hutchison's contracts to operate two Panama Canal ports "absurd," "shameful and pathetic," and vowed to defend Chinese firms' interests. Panama's Supreme Court last week annulled key contracts Panama Ports Company, a ...