At another level, these wars to cut out the sovereignty of nations in the global south, which includes control of local economies, oil, and natural resources – is also, as this article relates, about power, contention, and influence – as some countries in the global south seek to develop their own paths for independence and survival: “On Saturday, President Trump met with leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean for the so-called Shield of the Americas Summit in Florida.

But the leaders of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia — which together account for more than half of the region’s G.D.P. — were conspicuously absent.

Washington has struggled to present a compelling economic alternative or explain how Latin American countries would benefit from distancing themselves from China.

Since 2005, Chinese banks have provided upwards of $120 billion in loan commitments to Latin American and Caribbean nations, often targeting the energy, mining and heavy transport sectors where Western capital has grown risk-averse”…. And some Latin American and Caribbean nations … “are unwilling to let Trump dictate the terms of their engagement with China.”