LatinNews Regional Monitor: Caribbean & Central America - 23 August 2018

El Salvador: El Salvador’s Vice President Oscar Ortiz has denied that the government’s recent decision to break ties with Taiwan in favour of mainland China would impact on relations with the US. Ortiz's remarks are in response to a tweet by Jean Manes, the US ambassador to El Salvador, which said that the US was “analysing” the decision which was “worrying for many reasons – including the fact that it broke a relation of more than 80 years with Taiwan”. The tweet continues that “without doubt this will impact our relation with the Salvadorean government”. According to a press release by the Taiwanese foreign ministry, “Since 2017, the government of El Salvador had repeatedly demanded large amounts of funds from Taiwan” to develop La Unión port in the east of the country – to which Taiwan did not agree. The international media has cited Manes as warning about China’s intentions to turn La Unión port into a military base as part of efforts to expand Chinese influence in the region.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 170 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial