WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Carlos A. Gimenez, a Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, is sounding the alarm over the growing influence of Communist China in Latin America, warning that it could soon pose a grave 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,” said Rep. Gimenez. “Communist China controls ports on both sides of the Panamá Canal and several key ports in Peru, which controls large deposits of copper and lithium. We cannot overlook the alarming reality that Communist China is exploiting our hemisphere’s resources for their gain. 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.”

This comes after Rep. Gimenez joined fellow Members of the House of Representatives on a congressional delegation (CODEL) to Panamá, Colombia, and Peru to assess immigration concerns and investigate Communist China’s influence in the region.

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