China-Cuba ‘US security threat’, Brazil’s rare earths: Latin America relations reads

SCMPPublished: 10:00pm, 2 Jun 2026We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talksPool photo: APOne day after the United States brought criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio portrayed Cuba as both a growing national security threat tied to China and Russia, and a candidate for a negotiated political transition.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino in May rejected suggestions that US pressure had shaped his government’s handling of a dispute over ports near the Panama Canal, as Panama sought to stabilise relations with Beijing and renew a key maritime agreement.

Argentina is on the verge of settling its debt with China’s central bank, winding down a currency lifeline that kept the country afloat during years of financial turmoil, and now sits at the centre of a geopolitical tug of war between Washington and Beijing.