China's growing influence appears to have some drawbacks in Latin America. Beijing has targeted countries like Guatemala and outraged retailers in Brazil.It came as a small shock to Guatemalan exporters: According to local media reports, China recently banned the import of Guatemalan coffee and other goods.
There was no official explanation. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo, however, presumed that there was a connection to his country's ties with Taiwan. "We will take care of it," Arevalo said.
Apart from Paraguay, Guatemala is now the only Latin American country with diplomatic ties to Taiwan. Beijing regards the island nation as part of China. In recent years, Honduras and Nicaragua changed sides, turning their backs on Taiwan and seeking rapprochement with China.
Several small conflicts in Latin America The blockade of Guatemalan goods is one of several minor conflicts beginning to overshadow China's course in Latin America, which has long been oriented towards growth and expansion. Those conflicts were, however, of a different nature, Vladimir Rouvinski, an associate professor with the Department of Political Studies at Icesi University in Cali, Colombia, told DW. "In this case, China clearly uses something as leverage, and it does this less against Guatemala, but rather against Taiwan," he said.
In Costa Rica, the government urged one of the managers of state-owned energy supplier ICE to leave the company after some 70 high-ranking employees had visited a party orga.
