Heine Publishes Article on Latin America & Active Non-Alignment
Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published an op-ed in The Wire explaining why Latin America should adopt active non-alignment.
In the article, titled “COVID-19 Has Shown Why Latin America Needs Active Non-Alignment,” Heine discusses how Latin American has been caught in the middle of another Cold War between the United States and China. As a result of U.S. pressure on the region, Latin America as suffered greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic with over 400,000 dead from the virus.
Heine proposes a policy of active non-alignment for Latin America in which the region does not choose sides between Washington and Beijing; instead, Latin America must make their own way instead. Heine suggests that the region open up to the post-Western world and explore partnerships from rising entities and powers including the Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank (AIIB), the New Development Bank (BRICS Bank), and “trailblazers in what observers refer to as the ‘Asian Century.’”
An excerpt:
Rarely has the willingness of Latin American governments to engage in the Cold War games played by Washington proved to have such deadly and devastating consequences. As the tensions between the United States and China escalate to what some have referred to as a Second Cold War, this tragic occurrence should serve as a warning to what lies in store if measures are not taken to steer course into a different direction.
The full blog can be read on the The Wire‘s website.
Ambassador Jorge Heine is a Research Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He has served as ambassador of Chile to China (2014-2017), to India (2003-2007) and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as a Cabinet Minister in the Chilean Government. Read more on him here.