General Laura Richardson, head of the US Southern Command, visited Argentina for the second time and met with the Minister of Defense, Jorge Taiana, as well as with military authorities to discuss defense issues, bilateral agreements, and the hierarchy of the Armed Forces. They also discussed military equipment and the strategic priority that Argentina assigns to the South Atlantic, according to Taiana himself.
However, his arrival generated speculation due to the protests of leftist groups against US and IMF “interference” in the country and claims that Richardson and his entourage were there for the natural resources of the “patria grande.” In January, Richardson had highlighted the importance of Latin America to the US because of its rich resources and rare earth elements, mentioning in particular the “Lithium Triangle” in Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
Protesters also questioned the “agenda of planned misery” that allegedly stems from the debt agreement with the IMF, as well as the Argentine government’s subordination to the IMF’s economic program. Richardson’s visit is also part of the White House’s pressure to dynamite Argentina’s relations with China, in relation to the eventual purchase of Chinese-made fighter planes and the presence of Chinese satellites in Argentine Patagonia. The organization Encuentro Patriótico pointed out that Richardson has laid bare in multiple speeches the neo-colonialist strategy of the US to appropriate the common goods of the “patria grande” to put them at the service of its supply chains and to stop the collapse of its imperial arrogance.
In sum, Richardson’s visit to Argentina has been seen as yet another sign of the complex relations between the US, Argentina, and China and has raised concerns about the South American country’s natural resources and sovereignty.