The president of the powerful Popular Party of Spain, Pablo Casado , on tour in South America, considered it possible that countries like Argentina, Chile or Uruguay could in the future be part of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Although the Spanish opposition leader argued the possible expansion of NATO in the fact of adding "democracies that defend freedom in the Atlantic environment but also in an environment of defense of principles and values, not essentially geographical" , some analysts such as Alberto Hustchenreuter inscribe the trial balloon in the concern that keeps Washington awake: the growing presence of China in South America.
Casado is visiting Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay, and took advantage of the journalistic presence to formulate the surprising idea, which he also based on the need to “encircle” the governments of countries in the region such as Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua. To this end, the president of the PP announced a bombastic “alliance for freedom throughout Latin America,” and mentioned values such as “democracy, the market economy, the rule of law, well-being and security,” almost a decalogue of liberal thought. European it represents. Hustchenreuter believes that Casado declares "in a personal capacity" and "with an ideological orientation" , in his case right-wing and liberal, and downplayed its significance since Spain does not have supremacy in NATO, clearly led by the United States.
“If there has to be a new entry, something that I don't think will happen for now, it will be more thought out from Washington than from another NATO partner,” summarized the analyst. By statute, only countries with a coastline in the area are full members. North Atlantic, both from Europe and the US and Canada. A second category of “global partner” is today held by Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan and the only one in Latin America, Colombia, since 2017 .Another step, of lower rank, is that of “ important non-NATO ally ”, a group that includes, for example, Brazil and Argentina, thanks to the agreement with the US.
