By Waldaniel Amadis | 2023-07-05

MONTEVIDEO -- Former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar said that it is still possible to avoid the "victory" of Chinese expansionism in Latin America.

Aznar, who governed Spain from 1996 to 2004, spoke at a conference on June 28 organized by the Center for Development Studies (CED) in Montevideo.

"Many think that China's victory is inevitable, I don't think so. Nor do I believe that the confrontation is inevitable," he said.

Aznar warned that China's growing "presence" in Latin America will have "political consequences" as Beijing takes advantage of the space left by the United States and Europe in the region.

According to the Spanish conservative leader, some people naively believe that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) does not have a "hegemonic vision."

However, the CCP "will be much more demanding in its presence," as evidenced by the base that Beijing has deployed in Cuba to carry out espionage tasks in the southern United States and in Latin America.

The shortsightedness of some Latin American leaders, who are more concerned with quick fixes than with long-term planning and "strategic thinking", has also contributed to China's expansionism in the region.

During his visit to Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital, Aznar met with local leaders and gave interviews to the media, reiterating his belief that there is a "large deficit of strategic thinking" at a global level.