China-Cuba ‘US security threat’, Brazil’s rare earths: Latin America relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talksPool photo: APOne day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio portrayed Cuba as both a growing national security threat tied to China and Russia, and a candidate for a negotiated political transition.Read the full story here.2. Panama rejects US pressure claims as it seeks to ease China tensionsPhoto: APPanamanian President Jose Raul Mulino in May rejected suggestions that US pressure had shaped his government’s handling of a dispute over ports near the Panama Canal, as Panama sought to stabilise relations with Beijing and renew a key maritime agreement.Read the full story here.3. How a US$5 billion Chinese lifeline to Argentina shrank to almost nothingPhoto: Getty ImagesArgentina is on the verge of settling its debt with China’s central bank, winding down a currency lifeline that kept the country afloat during years of financial turmoil, and now sits at the centre of a geopolitical tug of war between Washington and Beijing.Read the full story here.4. China pours US$6.1b into Brazil, making it Beijing’s top global investmentPhoto: ReutersChina made Brazil its top global investment destination last year, pouring US$6.1 billion into the country across a record 52 projects. The figures came from the China-Brazil Business Council’s annual report, released in May.Read the full story here.5. US targets Cuba nickel operation in move affecting China-linked supply chainsPhoto: KyodoBeijing lashed out at Paraguay after President Santiago Pena wrapped up a four-day visit to Taiwan, branding Paraguayan leaders as willing “chess pieces” for independence forces on the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory.Further ReadingRead the full story here.6. Lula will not sideline China on rare earths, tells Trump refining stays in BrazilPhoto: ReutersBrazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump that his country’s rare earth reserves are open to investment from China and any other nation willing to process the minerals on Brazilian soil, resisting pressure to side with Washington in its contest with Beijing over critical mineral supply chains.Read the full story here.7. China restores US beef trade amid Trump-Xi summit, alarming Brazilian exportersPhoto: China News Service/VCG via Getty ImagesBrazil’s government expressed concern over China’s renewal of US beef import licences, warning the move could reshape competition in the country’s largest meat export market.Read the full story here.