The leftist government of Brazil is backing a proponent of expanding China's influence in the Western Hemisphere as the next Secretary General of the Organization of American States.

Brazil, led by socialist President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula' da Silva, issued a news release Tuesday that it endorsed Albert Ramdin, the Foreign Affairs minister of Suriname.

Suriname is a small Dutch-speaking country on South America's northeastern coast.

Brazil joins with left-wing Colombia, Chile and Bolivia in backing Ramdin to lead the 34-member OAS, which will hold elections Monday to select the Secretary General.

Ramdin has been close to China, and several experts are warning his election will grow Beijing's reach across the regio. [See: China Wants to Control the OAS, Only Trump Can Stop It]

Ramdin led Suriname to become the first Latin country to sign up for China's Belt and Road Initiative.

As foreign minister, he worked to integrate Suriname's diplomatic missions with China's in capitals around the world.

Ramdin is running against Ruben Ramirez Lezcano, Paraguay's Foreign Affairs minister who met with President Donald Trump in November at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida just two weeks after the presidential election. Paraguay President Santiago Peña attended Trump's inauguration.

The winner needs 18 votes from the 34-nation body, but political analyst and former presidential adviser Dick Morris told Newsmax last week that Latin America's leftist countries, such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Mexico, are working with smaller pro-China members to elect Ramdin.

Morris said Ramirez Lezcano just needs firm support from Trump.

"President Trump holds all the cards because if they don't pick the U.S. candidate, Lezcano, he can stop the $100 million in funding that keeps the OAS alive," Morris said