Two Hispanic senators introduced a bill in the US Senate on Monday to increase security cooperation with Latin America and counter the “destabilizing” influence of China Y Russia in the region.
The proposal by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democrat Bob Menéndez asks the Secretaries of State and Defense of U.S to present a strategic plan to Congress to increase the defense and security of allied countries in the region.
In a summary of the bill sent to The Associated Press, the senators say that totalitarian regimes in Latin America and the activities of China and Russia in the region pose a risk to US national security. As an example, they talk about the financial support that China has given to the illegitimate government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
The bill, called the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022, calls for the plan to be presented in Congress to include “activities to counter the malign influence of state actors and transnational criminal organizations.”
It also calls for proposals to curb drug trafficking and increase the transparency and accountability of defense and security institutions in the region. Rubio, who represents Florida, is on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Menendez is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
China has in recent years replaced the United States as the main trading partner of several countries in Latin America and has financed several investments in infrastructure. Russia has supported Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, the three main adversaries of the United States in the region, in the arms business.
Source: Gestion
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