Far away from the new Cold War on European soil, Latin American and Caribbean countries are faced with crucial decisions. How do they shape the future of their societies, and importantly, which external actors do they trust to help them? For the region the challenge is more complex than a simple contrast between Chinese economic power and US and European values. This complexity is visible on both sides of the equation. On the one hand, the Chinese economic involvement does not necessarily or consistently threaten democratic values in the region and, on the other, US (and European) involvement does not necessarily always bring respect for human rights and democracy.