SOUTHCOM chief calls for ‘Marshall Plan’ for Western Hemisphere to counter Russia, China

[rangerrebew]

SOUTHCOM chief calls for ‘Marshall Plan’ for Western Hemisphere to counter Russia, China
Gen. Laura Richardson told the Aspen Security Forum she also needs high-profile visitors to "tell them [local officials] and show them how important they are to this region, and to the hemisphere that we all live in," or Beijing would step into the void.
By   LEE FERRAN
on July 18, 2024 at 3:35 PM
Gen. Laura Richardson
 

WASHINGTON — The US should embark on a “Marshall Plan” for Western Hemisphere nations still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic if it wants to keep Russian, and especially Chinese, influence in check in the region, the head of US Southern Command said today.

“I will tell you that I think from COVID, the impacts on the GDP, we do not understand how severe the impacts were in this region,” said Gen. Laura Richardson, commander of SOUTHCOM, whose area of responsibility includes Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Richardson said that while “a couple of countries were okay,” for most there’s been a “severe economic downturn” that has now been exploited by transnational gangs and caused instability into which Moscow and Beijing have stepped with offers of cash or, in the case of China, Belt and Road Initiative projects.

https://breakingdefense.com/2024/07/southcom-chief-calls-for-marshall-plan-for-western-hemisphere-to-counter-russia-china/

[240B]

How about a Marshall Plan for America? Or is that out of the question?

[DefiantMassRINO]

It's interesting when you take Caribbean cruises or vacations.  You find out that the Chi-coms helped Barbados develop the Harrison's Cave attraction.  You also discover that the Ch-coms built the cricket stadium on Dominica.  So much for the Monroe Doctrine.

If America wasn't bleeding resources in the Middle East, those resources could be redeployed for a Marshall Plan for the Americas, starting with America first.