Introduction:

The international system is undergoing a process of fragmentation and reconfiguration characterized by strategic competition between the United States and China, the impact of which is clearly evident in Latin America and the Caribbean. Objective: This article aims to analyze the continued relevance of classical geopolitical principles in light of this rivalry in the Western Hemisphere, especially given that the region has become a geopolitical arena due to political-diplomatic, economic-commercial, technological, and geostrategic imperatives. Methodology: Based on empirical evidence regarding transformations in trade patterns, financing, and foreign direct investment, this analytical study adopts a hermeneutic-interpretive approach and employs open-source intelligence techniques. Thus, this article provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical proposals of classical geopolitics by Rudolph Kjellén, Karl Haushofer, and Halford Mackinder, applying their central concepts to the current context of strategic competition between Washington and Beijing in the region. Conclusions: The findings show that classic geopolitical principles retain significant analytical relevance, although they require reinterpretation to incorporate elements such as regional multipolarity, non-coercive economic competition, and the complexity of multiple alliances that characterize the Latin American scenario of the 21st century.

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