Washington has spent too long treating Latin America as a problem to be managed rather than a strategic neighborhood to be strengthened. As the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections, policymakers should recognize an opportunity hiding in plain sight: expanding the Shield of the Americas into a durable hemispheric partnership spanning security, energy, critical minerals, infrastructure, and trade.

The stakes are no longer theoretical.

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America is fighting wars for an empire that no longer exists

China’s economic footprint across Latin America has expanded rapidly, while Beijing has demonstrated an appetite for strategically important infrastructure. A 2025 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission report identified 37 Chinese port projects across Latin America and the Caribbean, warning that such facilities could be used to disrupt U.S. trade, monitor naval activity, or support coercive operations during a crisis.

The $1.3 billion Chinese-built........

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