China ‘Selling’ Authoritarianism in Latin America: Rep. Castro

‘That’s a very appealing prospect for a leader, to move from a president to in the direction of a king,’ the Texas lawmaker said.

(Front seated L-R) Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade Rodrigo Malmierca, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Chinese Director of National Development and Reform Commission Xu Shao Shi and Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell attend the First Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (China-CELAC) at the Diaoyutai Guesthouse in Beijing on January 6, 2015. Rolex Dela Pena/AFP via Getty Images

Communist China is winning economic and political influence in Latin America by selling an authoritarian style of governance and surveillance technology to back it, according to one congressman.

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to gain increased access to the Western hemisphere comes amid a broader effort by the regime to secure economic and political influence throughout the world, said Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).