The Belt and Road in Latin America: Views from the Region
On November 4, 2020, Dr. Santa Gadea participated as a commentator in The Belt and Road in Latin America: Views from the Region, a forum organized by the Brazilian Center for International Relations and the Council on Foreign Relations, with support from the Ford Foundation. Participants discussed China’s approach to development in Latin America, the Digital Silk Road and its natural expansion into Latin America, Chinese influence on Latin American media and civil society, and US reactions to the Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America. Moreover, three important research projects were presented; these included an analysis of the major and growing role that China plays in financing development in Latin America, whether through the China Development Bank or other funds; the Digital Silk Road’s movement toward the Belt and Road initiative, and how these concepts are being developed in Latin America; and, how the presence of companies such as CCTV and Xinhua, as well as the establishment of Confucius Institutes and Scholarships at prestigious Chinese universities, complement the Belt and Road initiative.