The remarks from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun condemning the "authoritarian" U.S. posture toward Latin America highlight an uncomfortable geopolitical truth: the region remains a strategic chessboard for major powers. From Beijing, the message was unambiguous: Latin America and the Caribbean "are not anyone's backyard." A bold statement that challenges centuries of foreign domination.

The recent trigger was the U.S. decision to replace Huawei equipment in Panama with "secure American technology" to counter China's "negative influence." Beyond the technical discourse, the real issue at stake is Latin America's sovereignty and its right to choose its own partners and digital future.

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino made it clear: the U.S. has no right to comment on sovereign Panamanian decisions. Though symbolic, this statement marks a necessary boundary after decades of economic and diplomatic pressure from Washington.

China presents itself as a partner of mutual respect and "win-win" cooperation. Yet the region must not idealize. Neither Washington nor Beijing are benevolent. The real question is whether Latin America can forge an independent, pragmatic foreign policy that serves its own interests and resists spheres of influence.

In this shifting global order, Latin America has both the opportunity and the responsibility to step beyond dependency. This demands stronger regional integration, resilient institutions, and an engaged public demanding true sovereignty. The time of automatic alignment is over. It's time to build a strategic Latin American autonomy.