The 2026 Latinobarometro survey finds that 65% of respondents across 17 Latin American countries view China as a positive global influence, compared with 57% for the United States. China's positive-rating has risen since 2020, while US influence ratings have declined. Despite this, the US retains higher overall favourability (63% vs 58%). The poll — based on roughly 19,200 face-to-face interviews — also found broad approval for the US capture of Nicolás Maduro in most countries.
Poll: 65% in Latin America View China As A More Positive Global Influence Than The US
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shakes hands with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil [File: Adriano Machado/Reuters]
A major 2026 Latinobarometro survey finds that China is now viewed more positively than the United States as a global influence across Latin America — the first time this has occurred since the poll began in 1995.
Survey Highlights
The report, published on Friday, shows that 65% of respondents in 17 countries described China as a positive influence, compared with 57% who said the same of the United States. Support for China has risen sharply since 2020 (when 48% viewed its influence positively), while the US rating has fallen from 60% over the same period.
Only Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic were surveyed where respondents rated US influence more positively than China.
Context And Reactions
Latinobarometro, a Chile-based nonprofit, conducts annual face-to-face surveys across the region on topics such as democracy, the economy, security and migration. The 2026 survey is based on roughly 19,200 interviews carried out between May 7 and June 17, and reports a margin of error of about 1%.
The findings arrive during the second term of US President Donald Trump, whose administration has pursued a more forceful policy in the region. The report notes actions taken by Washington in recent months — including strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, which human rights groups have condemned as extrajudicial killings, and the reported abduction and later capture of Venezuela’s then-leader, Nicolás Maduro, in Brazil. President Trump has described his regional approach as the "Donroe Doctrine."
Favourability And The Maduro Operation
Despite China leading on perceived global influence, the United States retained a higher overall favourability rating: 63% of respondents said they had a favourable opinion of the US, compared with 58% for China. The US favourability figure fell from 73% in 2024.
The survey also asked respondents about the US military capture of Nicolás Maduro. A majority in every surveyed country except Argentina approved of the operation. Views were more divided about its impact on Venezuela: 35% said removing Maduro benefited the country, while 28% said it harmed Venezuela. Venezuelans were among the most likely to view US influence positively, the report shows.
Methodology: About 19,200 face-to-face interviews in 17 countries, conducted May 7–June 17, margin of error ~1%.
Note: The article summarizes the Latinobarometro findings and reported actions described in the survey and accompanying commentary. Some described events (such as strikes and the Maduro operation) are reported as characterized by rights groups and the survey; readers should consult primary sources for further detail and confirmation.
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