Frank Jack Daniel and Drazen Jonrgic

(Reuters). – China is now an attractive partner in Washington’s effort to curb corruption and backsliding of democracy in Central America. This has been confirmed by officials and analysts.

The trend was thrust into focus this week when Nicaragua re-established ties with Beijing https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduras-next-government-maintain-taiwan-ties-now-transition-team-says-2021-12-10, severing a longstanding relationship with U.S. ally Taiwan, which relies heavily on diplomatic recognition from small countries.

China is also being sought out by other countries. After Washington placed his aides on a blacklist for corruption, Nayib Bukele the Salvadoran president ratified China’s economic cooperation agreement with China.

Washington’s accuser, Bukele this week, said that Washington demanded “absolute submit or bust”. In May Bukele celebrated the fact that China has made public $500 million investments “without any conditions”.

After President Daniel Ortega’s re-election, Nicaragua decided to accept China. This was in response to a series of sanctions that were imposed on his staff.

According to an American official who spoke on behalf of the U.S., Nicaragua’s situation is unique in Central America because it has become increasingly authoritarian. However, Ortega’s international isolation played a part in Ortega’s switch to China.

They look for economic partners and other routes as the sanctions get tighter.

U.S. pressures on Central American officials includes visa revocations, Treasury sanctions and cutting off access to the global banking system. For El Salvador, Washington is also readying criminal charges https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/exclusive-us-preparing-indictments-against-salvadoran-officials-over-alleged-2021-12-10 against two senior Bukele allies.

Beijing is a refuge from U.S. sanctions, a strategy which has previously thrown economic liveslines to leaders from the West elsewhere, including Venezuela. R. Evan Ellis from the U.S. Army War College said.

Ellis, an expert about China’s relationship with Latin America, stated that China is supporting authoritarian populists to pursue its strategic economic goals.

‘DEBT DIPLOMACY’

U.S. officials seek to stop Chinese advancements in the region and cast Beijing as an unreliable partnership for countries looking to invest to boost their faltering economies.

U.S. officials cite China’s global investments as “debt diplomacy”, and claim Beijing is leaving poorer nations enslaved by debt.

Beijing refutes these claims and says that it is an equal partner with its allies. This makes Beijing a tempting prospect for leaders living in an area where the United States holds a lot of influence.

Privately, however, Guatemalan business leaders worry about the U.S. pursuit for political elites for corruption and how it will lead to government officials becoming more accommodating.

However, Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei visited Washington this week and pledged his loyalty Taiwan.

Honduras’s incoming government, headed by President-elect Xiomara Cuba, has made a commitment to Taipei and good relations with Washington for the moment, despite having openly hoped to switch to Beijing during her campaign.

The United States has welcomed that, with the senior U.S. official saying Washington is willing to provide a “surge” in aid to help Castro https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/honduras-next-government-maintain-taiwan-ties-now-transition-team-says-2021-12-10 meet her priority of alleviating Honduras’ dire economic situation.

Still, some Castro allies, including Rodolfo Pastor, a senior member of her transition team, say his country must keep its options on China open https://news.trust.org/item/20211210182535-z0yl8, harboring the possibility that Honduras could recognize Beijing in the future.

Ellis from the U.S Army War College stated that “I suspect Honduras will try to extract from Taiwanese patrons to not flip” and pointed to Nicaragua.