US insults pushing Latin America into China’s arms

The gloves are off.

After decades in which the United States largely looked the other way, the Trump administration has decided to confront China over its growing influence in Latin America. Trouble is, you can’t win over Latin American countries if you’re constantly insulting them.

In a Feb. 1 speech on Latin American affairs, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that China is trying to “pull the region into its orbit, and that “Latin America does not need new imperial powers.”

Furthermore, in a major shift in