It amounts to a massive threat to Washington's interests in the region
Russia expands its influence in Latin America without any US move
Putin with Brazilian President Bolsonaro.
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Putin with Argentine President Fernandez.
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American analyst Judith Bergman believes that Russia has been striving to expand its influence in Latin America, especially since President Vladimir Putin decided to wage war on Ukraine, and the subsequent isolation of Russia at the global level.
Russia's way of expanding its influence in Latin America is similar to its methods in Africa, where it has sought primarily to exert influence through arms deals, the use of its mercenaries, election interference, and information dissemination, Bergman, a journalist and lawyer, said in an analysis published by the American Gatestone Institute. misleading.
In March 2015, General John Kelly, the commander of the Marine Corps, said in testimony before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, "Although Russia's presence in Latin America is not comparable in size to that of China, Russia has nonetheless in recent years." expanding its influence in Latin America.
worrying
He added, "The particular concern is that Russia is not only strengthening its relations with its old partners in Latin America, such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, but is now establishing new and stronger relations with countries that have traditionally leaned toward the United States, such as Brazil and Argentina."
Shortly before the war in Ukraine, Putin met with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Argentina while signing a security cooperation agreement with Venezuela.
Despite this, "the United States has taken the Western Hemisphere off its list of priorities, and has reduced its investments there for decades," said Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
He added that "China and Russia support illiberal regimes in hemisphere such as Venezuela, compounding regional security challenges and curbing political transitions toward democracy."
"All of this is reminiscent of a surprise visit by then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to the region during the crisis in Georgia in 2008, all of which was intended to show that Russia is not isolated internationally," Berg said in March.
"Any Russian aggression in Europe is usually followed by a military escalation in Latin America, as Russia sent Tu-160 military bombers capable of carrying nuclear bombs to Venezuela for exercises in 2008, 2013 and 2018," he added.
Evan Ellis, a professor of Latin American Studies Research at the Institute of Strategic Studies at the US Army War College, said in testimony before the US House Foreign Policy Subcommittee for the Western Division last July, “While embracing Russian military activities was limited to authoritarian regimes, Anti-Americanism, the willingness of some other countries to support and engage with Russia is worrisome.”
"Key examples include the symbolic and rhetorical support that the governments of Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro gave Putin during their visits to Putin as his army prepared for war in Ukraine," he added.
The Argentine president went even further, offering his government to be Russia's gateway to Latin America, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez described NATO's military support to Ukraine as "immoral."
Partnership Strengthening
Last June, Putin and the Brazilian President confirmed their intention to strengthen their strategic partnership.
In March, the commander of US Southern Command, General Laura J. Richardson, testified before the US Senate Armed Services Committee, that Russian actions in Latin America significantly undermine the security situation there, in addition to enabling China to gain influence.
"The safety of the United States is directly linked to the stability and security of our partners in Latin America and the Caribbean," Richardson added.
Bergman pointed out that Russia's growing influence in Latin America must be seen in conjunction with China's enormous influence in the region, as it is already the largest trading partner and the largest investor for countries in the region, except for Mexico.
While 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have signed on to China's Belt and Road Initiative, US President Joe Biden's "Rebuilding a Better World" initiative he announced in June 2021 has not budged as a way to counter China.
Bergman argues that the expansion of Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America together amounts to a massive threat to US interests in the region.
While Biden was campaigning for the presidential elections in March 2020, he pledged to restore American leadership to the region, in response to a question about whether China's expanding influence in Latin America constitutes a threat to American national security.
The American analyst concluded her report by saying that so far, Biden has not taken any action to translate his words into action, while Russia and China continue to consolidate their gains in the region.
• Russia is not only strengthening its relations with its old partners in Latin America, such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, but is now establishing new and stronger relations with countries that have traditionally leaned toward the United States, such as Brazil and Argentina.
• Russia's growing influence in Latin America must be seen in conjunction with China's enormous influence in the region, as it is already the largest trading partner and the largest investor for the countries of the region, except for Mexico.
• China and Russia support illiberal regimes in the hemisphere such as Venezuela, compounding regional security challenges and curbing political transitions towards democracy.
• While 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have signed on to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, US President Joe Biden's initiative called "Rebuilding a Better World", which he announced in June 2021 as a means to confront China, has not budged.
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