Domestic Reactions to China's Presence in Three Latin American Countries: Brazil, Nicaragua and Venezuela

Abstract

China's increasing presence in several Latin American countries is having different effects on national political arenas, probably making room for new specific cleavages. This article is an exploratory study with the purpose of identifying political reactions to China's growing economic presence in three differently sized Latin American countries (Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua). Our analytical perspective considers China-related issues as part of the foreign policy agenda in Latin American countries and, in turn, foreign policy issues as a phenomenon that can be observed like any other public policy issue. That is, a realm where actors inside or outside the state use political resources and energy to advance their own preferences. In analyzing the diverse circumstances generated by China’s economic presence in each of the selected cases, we hope to contribute to studies on the politicization of foreign policy in Latin American countries.