According to American researcher Judith Bergman, Russia is attempting to increase its influence in Latin America, particularly in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War and Russia’s subsequent isolation on the international stage.
The methods used by Russia to increase its influence in Africa and Latin America are similar, according to journalist and lawyer Bergman, who wrote an analysis for the American Gatestone Institute. In Africa, Russia has primarily sought to influence through arms deals, the use of its mercenaries, election meddling, and the dissemination of false information.
General John Kelly, head of the Marine Corps, said before the US Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2015 that “Russia’s footprint in Latin America has nonetheless been expanding in recent years, even though it is not equivalent in size to China’s.” increasing its sway throughout Latin America.
“The particular worry is that Russia is not only establishing new and stronger relations with countries that have historically leaned toward the United States, like Brazil and Argentina, but is also strengthening its relations with its old partners in Latin America, such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela,” he continued.
Putin signed a security cooperation pact with Venezuela just before the conflict while also having meetings with Argentina and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Despite this, according to Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “the United States has moved the Western Hemisphere off its priority list and cut its commitment there for decades.”
He continued, “China and Russia support illiberal governments in the hemisphere, like Venezuela, exacerbating security issues in the region and impeding political shifts toward democracy.
Berg stated in March that “all of this is reminiscent of a surprise visit to the area by the then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during the crisis in Georgia in 2008, all of which were intended to demonstrate that Russia is not isolated on the global stage.”
He continued, “Typically, each Russian aggressiveness in Europe is followed by a military expansion in Latin America, as demonstrated by Russia’s dispatch of Tu-160 military bombers equipped with nuclear weapons to Venezuela for training exercises in 2008, 2013, and 2018.
While authoritarian, anti-regimes were the only ones to accept Russian military activity, Dr. To the United States, other nations’ readiness to support and interact with Russia is worrying.
He continued: “Key examples are the rhetorical and symbolic support that the administrations of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez gave Putin during their trips to Putin while his army was ready to invade Ukraine.
Further, the president of Argentina suggested that his nation serve as Russia’s entry point into Latin America, while the president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez, called NATO’s military assistance to Ukraine in fending off Russian invasion “immoral.”
Putin and the president of Brazil reaffirmed their resolve to fortify their strategic alliance in June of last year.
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US Southern Command Commander Richardson testified before the US Senate Armed Services Committee that China’s influence was increased and that Russian actions in Latin America seriously threatened the region’s security situation.
The stability and security of our allies in Latin America and the Caribbean, Richardson continued, “are closely related to the safety of the United States.”
Bergman noted that China, which is already the largest investor and trading partner in the area, with the exception of Mexico, must be considered in conjunction with Russia’s expanding influence in Latin America.
While 21 Latin American and Caribbean nations have endorsed China’s Belt and Road Plan, US President Joe Biden’s “Rebuilding a Better World” initiative, which he unveiled in June 2021 as a means of retaliating against China, has remained steadfast.
According to Bergman, the rise of Chinese and Russian power in Latin America poses a serious danger to US interests there.
In response to a query on whether China’s growing influence in Latin America poses a threat to American national security, Biden promised to restore American leadership to the area while running for president in the March 2020 elections.
The American expert concluded her assessment by stating that while Russia and China have continued to solidify their advances in the region, Biden has not yet made any steps to put his words into action.
Russian influence is growing in Latin America without any American action, according to an American analyst.
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