The Latin American Liberal Network (RELIAL)—which gathers around 50 think tanks and political parties advocating for free markets, the rule of law, and individual rights—has launched a permanent seminar to develop annual in-depth research projects. In 2023, researchers explored the growing influence of China in Latin America.
Santiago Carranco holds a doctorate in international studies from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences. He is an international-relations professor at the International University of Ecuador and one of the researchers with the RELIAL permanent seminar. In this podcast episode, Carranco discusses the changes to relations between China and small countries, in particular Ecuador and Peru, where he conducted his investigation.
Carranco analyzes how the effects of the pandemic and the measures to curb it provided an opportunity to expand the influence of rising powers such as China. China took advantage of its economic leverage when the United States and Europe experienced economic downturns and inflation to boost its geopolitical positioning in developing countries by furthering diplomatic relations and cooperation.