NEW YORK, July 19. /TASS/. The American authorities should offer Latin American countries a modern-day "Marshall Plan" in order to avoid ceding influence in this region to Russia and China, the head of US Southern Command Laura Richardson said.
"I firmly believe that we need a Marshall Plan for the region, or AKA an economic recovery act of like 1948, but instead 2024, 2025," said the general at the annual Aspen Security Forum. Her words are quoted by the American digital magazine Breaking Defense.
According to Richardson, such measures are essential due to the fact that Moscow and Beijing, unlike Washington, finance and help build infrastructure in Latin American countries experiencing economic hardships, thus increasing their influence in the region. "And we don’t have those kinds of tools in our kitbag," she added.
Earlier, Richardson stated that the US authorities are trying to limit Russia's influence in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. The American general believes that strengthening Moscow's ties with these countries is "not good for democracies."
The Marshall Plan is a program providing aid to Europe after World War II, proposed by US Secretary of State George Marshall in 1947. Initially, it was assumed that within its framework, 17 European countries would receive a total of $20 billion over five years to help prop up their economies after the war. By various estimates, $13-17 billion was eventually allocated to Europe. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the purchasing power of $1 in June 1947, when the Marshall Plan was put forward, is equivalent to $14 in January 2024.