Bogota (AFP) - An opinion poll conducted in 17 countries in Latin America, the results of which were published on Friday, showed that Chinese influence in the region is now viewed more positively compared to American influence.

Published on: 03/10/2026 - 10:24

A survey by the Latinobarometro Foundation revealed that China has surpassed the United States in this field, for the first time since the start of the annual survey in 1995.

The results showed that 57% of Latin American residents view American influence positively, compared to 60% recorded in 2020.

On the other hand, 65% of respondents considered China to have a positive influence, compared to 48% six years ago.

According to the survey, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are the only two countries in the region where American influence is viewed as more positive than Chinese influence.

The report attributed this shift to several reasons, including the “almost complete absence” of Washington from the region during the two decades that followed the Iraq War in 2003.

During that period, “Latin America moved closer to other powers, such as China, the European Union and Japan,” according to what Marta Lagos, director of the Latinoparometro Foundation, told AFP.

Lagos noted that China has won the support of the people of Latin America by providing access to less expensive imports.

She added, "The void that China is filling is the void in people's pockets, more than anything else."

The increasing dissatisfaction with the United States comes in the middle of Donald Trump's second term, after he announced his desire to impose American hegemony in Latin America, under the so-called "Donroe Doctrine," through which Trump updated the "Monroe Doctrine" dating back to the nineteenth century, which called on European colonial powers not to interfere in the Western half of the Earth's time.

In terms of the country's public image, the United States remains more popular than China, with 63% expressing a positive view of the world's largest economy, compared to 58% for its arch rival.

However, the popularity of the United States witnessed a noticeable decline compared to 2024, during the term of Democratic President Joe Biden, when the percentage of those who viewed the United States positively was 73%.

Trump's quest to restore American hegemony over what Washington calls "our hemisphere" was evident in January when the United States ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The "Latinoparometro" poll showed that the majority of the population in all countries, except Argentina, expressed their support for the arrest of Maduro in a US special forces operation.

However, only 35% considered that this benefited Venezuela, compared to 28% who saw that it harmed the Caribbean country.

But Venezuelans themselves were among the most positive about American influence.

The Latinoparometro Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Chile that conducts opinion polls on a wide range of issues, from democracy to the economy, security and immigration.

The 2026 poll was based on approximately 19,200 direct interviews conducted in 17 countries between May 7 and June 17, and has a margin of error of 1%.

© 2026 AFP

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