Costa Rica, Semi-conductor Devices, and the American Empire

https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-22/from-san-jose-to-silicon-valley-costa-rica-is-emerging-as-a-hotbed-for-us-chips.html

The microchip industry has become strategic for the United States, meaning it is guaranteed federal subsidies and is becoming integrated with the security state. New facilities are being developed in Arizona, Texas, Idaho, Ohio, and New York but the industry is always going to be looking for cheaper options. A decade ago that was in China and other Asian locales. The US might be comfortable with South Korea, Japan, or even the Philippines but after the supply chain snags associated with Covid, the US is looking for something closer, a location that wouldn't be affected by such shipping scenarios. As such, Costa Rica has suddenly become an attractive option.

For the people of the tiny Central American republic the industry signals investment, jobs, and wealth and yet it will also generate intrigue, and place the nation at risk. Costa Rica won't become a 'frontline' state in the way the Philippines has become, but such alliances are not without their perils.

It also means that with this strategic infrastructure in place, the threat comes not just from Chinese intrigue, potential sabotage, or strategic and military calculations but from Washington. The US will not allow its vital industry to be subject to the whims of populist democracy or an noncompliant regime. Washington will be investing, but the Americans will also be watching Costa Rican politics like a hawk.

This has long been true of all its assets and the US is on record that it considers all of Latin America to be part of its sphere or domain. That said, the empire has not always managed to control it all - Cuba and Venezuela immediately come to mind. They will not want to risk this when it comes to Costa Rica.

Finally (and from my perspective the most interesting and perhaps important aspect to this story) there is the continued rise of the Evangelical movement in Costa Rica and its political prowess. US investment will also mean greater attention will be given by US Evangelicals to their Costa Rican counterparts. This goes right along with the suggestion that Washington will be taking a greater interest in Costa Rican politics. I expect more of this to take place - and the GOP will be right there.

Evangelical candidate Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz won the first round in the 2018 presidential election but was defeated in the second round by the centre-left candidate. The Evangelicals are still gaining traction and it's noteworthy that Muñoz is a signatory to the 2020 Madrid Charter produced by the Vox Party in Spain - a kind of pan-Right-wing manifesto for Ibero-American relations with specific focus on Latin America. The signatories are a list of Who's Who in the world of Right-wing Ibero-American and Latin American politics. In some cases 'fascist' may be too strong a term but in other cases it is certainly applicable and thus given the way these movements increasingly are interwoven with Christianity such affiliations should be a cause for great concern. But as I've repeatedly argued the American Church is just sleepwalking into this as they are led by wolves and hirelings and most American Evangelicals have divided loyalties to begin with - with Christ and Zion certainly taking a back-seat.