Cuba flight, Taiwan trade pushback, Panama probe: 7 Latin America relations reads
A selection of key stories covering diplomatic and energy developments in Latin America from the past month.
Quick Look
The South China Morning Post highlights key October 2026 stories, including Air China's evacuation of passengers from fuel-starved Cuba and Paraguay's defiance of Beijing's sanctions regarding its diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
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Why It Matters
The report summarizes geopolitical tensions involving China's influence in Latin America and the impact of US sanctions on Cuba's energy sector.
From support from Taiwan to Brazil’s mainland China ties, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in October 2026
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Air China scrambles to fly stranded passengers out of fuel-starved Cuba
As a US oil embargo deepened Cuba’s energy crisis, dozens of Air China passengers found themselves stranded on the island.
2. Paraguay tech minister defies Beijing sanctions, vows to deepen Taiwan ties
Paraguay’s technology minister said that sanctions imposed on him by Beijing over his country’s ties with Taiwan would only accelerate joint projects with the island. “This sanction is, at its core, a certification that what we have been doing since 2023 is the right path,” he wrote in a lengthy social media post.
Open Questions
- How will the energy crisis in Cuba evolve?
- What specific joint projects will Paraguay and Taiwan pursue?
