🔵 Try Epoch Times now: https://ept.ms/3Uu1JA5
This interview with Paraguay's President Santiago Peña was released on Epoch TV on January 25, 2025.
Paraguay is a unique country. It is one of only 12 countries in the world that recognize Taiwan instead of communist China.
It is also one of only six nations in the world, alongside the United States, that have moved their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Peña said he made the decision despite immense opposition from other world leaders.
An economist, Peña served as Paraguay’s minister of finance before he was elected president. He assumed office in August 2023 after a landslide victory. During his tenure, Paraguay has seen robust economic growth, outperforming many other Latin American nations. Last year, Moody’s awarded Paraguay an investment grade rating.
Jan Jekielek asks President Peña about what President Donald Trump’s return to the White House means for Paraguay and Latin America more broadly, his hopes and economic strategy for Paraguay, why he’s concerned about communist China’s influence in the region, and what he thinks about Trump’s recent comments about controlling the Panama Canal and renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
CHAPTER TITLES
0:00 - Paraguay's Unique Relationships and Economic Strategy
0:17 - Future Cooperation Between America and Paraguay
0:50 - Paraguay's Economic Stability and Development
4:55 - Reducing Poverty and Job Creation
6:12 - Paraguay's Barge System and Renewable Energy
11:27 - Paraguay's Relationship with the US and Multilateral Organizations
15:06 - How He Sees Taiwan and China
19:43 - Paraguay's International Trade and Economic Independence
24:40 - Paraguay-Israel Relations and Hopes for the Future
President Santiago Peña: “This could be the greatest moment we have had in more than 150 years relation between Paraguay and the US, but I think that the next four years will definitely be the highlight of our history. I think that every world leader was tuned in yesterday on the TV. History was in the making. So being here in Washington, the integration of President Trump, I could not think on any other place in the world, for any world leader, and in my case, for a country that has been a long standing friend of the US and for the right causes we have probably we are one of the few countries in the world that we have trade deficit with the US. They sell us more than we sell to them. We have a strong alliance with Israel. We have a strong alliance with Taiwan. We are good friends in both of these countries and will make us probably the best ally than the US has in the entire West, and among all the countries in the world. So having the chance to reflect during the last four years and all the things that he went through, I think there are great times ahead.”
About the history of Paraguay: “We were the first country to gain independence from Spain, the first one in 1811 ahead of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, almost everywhere, Mexico. So we were an independent nation when many other countries were still responding to the influence of Spain.”
🔵 Sign up for the American Thought Leaders ALERTS newsletter to stay up-to-date on new episodes, releases, and special events 👉 https://ept.ms/ATLnewsletter
💛 Support us 👉https://donorbox.org/american-thought-leaders
-------------------------------------------------
© All Rights Reserved.