South Miami-Dade News

Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez, a Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has raised concerns about the increasing influence of Communist China in Latin America, emphasizing its potential threat to U.S. national security.

“The rapid expansion of Communist China’s influence in Central and South America poses a direct threat to U.S. national security,” warned Rep. Gimenez. He highlighted that Communist China's control of ports in strategic locations like the Panamá Canal and key ports in Peru, with rich deposits of copper and lithium, is a significant cause for concern. "Communist China poses the most significant challenge to our sovereignty and economic stability, and the U.S. must take immediate steps to counter their malign influence in our hemisphere."

Rep. Gimenez's remarks followed his participation in a congressional delegation (CODEL) to Panamá, Colombia, and Peru, where he and other Members of the House of Representatives assessed immigration issues and investigated Communist China's presence in the region.

Congressman Carlos Giménez, representing Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys, has a unique perspective on the matter, being the only Cuban-born Member of the 118th Congress and having fled his homeland following the Communist regime's takeover. With a background as a career firefighter paramedic and former Fire Chief and Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Gimenez brings a wealth of experience to his roles on the House Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Select Committee on China.