29th Parliamentary-Intelligence Security Forum – China Influence Throughout the Americas

Hon. Mariano Federici opened by thanking Congressman Pittinger and noted the importance of discussing China’s authoritarian expansion in the Americas. He emphasized that global security and democratic resilience are increasingly influenced not just by warships or treaties, but by data flows, infrastructure, digital ecosystems, and finance.

China has become a dominant economic and technological force in Latin America, acting through:

• Infrastructure: Over 40 ports, key footholds in Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, and the Caribbean.
• Space and satellite systems: PLA-run stations in Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia.
• Digital ecosystems: Huawei and ZTE provide 4G/5G networks, smart city surveillance, and biometric systems.
• Finance: Opaque loans, currency swaps, and elite influence operations.

He highlighted the risks: strategic vulnerabilities, dual-use infrastructure, exfiltration of data, and support for organized crime networks, including fentanyl precursor supply chains. Political leverage is reinforced through opaque contracts, elite engagement, and controlled public narratives.He stressed that Latin America’s need for capital has made this model attractive, but without safeguards, transparency, and reciprocity, countries risk debt, loss of sovereignty, and weakened rule of law. Engagement with China is not the issue, it’s doing so responsibly.

Federici concluded that the Americas are at a strategic crossroads. Defending democracy, transparency, and sovereignty requires coordinated investment, trusted partnerships, and strategic alternatives to authoritarian influence. The contest for the region is determined by ports, platforms, and payment systems, not tanks or treaties.