Two Competing BlueprintsThis past summer, the United States unveiled Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan, a strategy that describes artificial intelligence as a zero-sum contest. Latin American officials interviewed by Americas Quarterly compared it to a “digital Monroe Doctrine,” a bid to create spheres of influence through contracts and code. Analysts told Americas Quarterly the diversity of political systems and industrial bases makes a single alignment impossible—hence the appeal of a third way. Officials told Americas Quarterly that such a move would give Brasília, Santiago, and Mexico City more leverage in negotiations with both powers. But trust itself can be an economic niche, one that makes Latin American AI distinct rather than derivative.