US Air Force General David Goldfein made the comments. General Goldfein is a four-star general in the United States Air Force who currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He previously served as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
General Goldfein told Foreign Policy in a November 2018 interview: “When it comes to China and Russia, we are looking at cooperation where we can and pushing back aggressively where we must.
“We keep a close eye on their activities globally, but certainly we keep an eye on their activities in Latin America.”
During his tour of several Latin American countries last August, then-Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis said: “We see Latin America as our neighbour.
“Some people say we don’t pay much attention to it.
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“That is certainly not the case in the military.”
Mr Mattis was the first Pentagon chief to visit the region since 2014.
A spokesman for the US Air Force’s Southern Command, Major Joost Verduyn said the US has increased its military presence in the region in recent years.
He said: “What has been increasing is the participation in these exercises.
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“The air show in Chile earlier last year was highlighted by the F-35, and the US Air Force sent more aircraft to participate in the show than it had before.
“US and partner nation participation in exercises in South America also continue to grow.”
The US is also engaged in air-to-air combat training exercises in the Latin American region.
The sabre-rattling drills, hosted by the Colombian Air Force last July and by Brazil last November, may be viewed as a ploy to assert dominance in the area.
Major Verduyn said: “Nearly every week of the year, the 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) and the US Air Force are conducting smaller subject matter expert exchanges across Central and South America and the Caribbean.”