Russia Expanding Its Influence in Latin America

by John Richardson
September 30, 2022 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18926/russia-influence-latin-america

Translations of this item:

Spanish

Of particular concern is that Russia has not only been strengthening its relations with old Latin American partners -- such as Cuba and Nicaragua, hailing back to the Cold War, and with Venezuela -- but that it is now forging new and stronger relationships with countries that were traditionally oriented towards the US, such as Brazil and Argentina.
"Recent demonstrations of Russia's hostile intent toward the U.S. and our partners in the Western Hemisphere include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov's January 2022 suggestion that Russia might deploy military forces to Venezuela or Cuba... and Nicaragua's June 2022 re-authorization for limited numbers of Russian troops and equipment to enter the country for training missions and other forms of support." — Dr. Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute and senior associate at the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, July 20, 2022.
Russia's actions in Latin America have been significantly deteriorating the security situation there, as well as enabling China to gain influence.
In June, Putin and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed their intention to strengthen their strategic partnership.
"In 2020, Russia Today (RT)'s Spanish-language media outlets more than doubled their social media followers from 7 million to over 18 million. These disinformation campaigns are just one part of Russia's broader efforts to influence national elections throughout the region this year. Russia's relationship with its key regional partners— Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua—allow Moscow to expand its air and sea access to project military power throughout the region." — General Laura Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, March 8, 2022.
"Agreements with Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Brazil allow Russian warships to make port calls on short notice. Russia doubled its naval deployments in this region, increasing from five (2008-2014), to 11 (2015- 2020). Russia seeks inroads in the hemisphere by providing security training through $2.3 billion in weapons and military equipment sales in the last 10 years, to include direct sales to Venezuela." — Gen. Laura Richardson, testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, March 8, 2022.
While 21 Latin American and Caribbean countries have signed onto China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Biden's Build Back Better World, launched in June 2021 to counter China, has not even taken off yet. Unlike the BRI, financed by the People's Republic of China, Build Back Better has to rely on private investors' willingness to take risks.
So far, Biden has nothing to show... while Russia and China continue to consolidate their gains.

"Recent demonstrations of Russia's hostile intent toward the U.S. and our partners in the Western Hemisphere include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov's January 2022 suggestion that Russia might deploy military forces to Venezuela or Cuba..." — Dr. Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. Pictured: Venezuelan and Russian military personnel at a ceremony for the arrival of two Russian Air Force Tu-160 strategic bombers in Venezuela, on December 10, 2018. (Image source: RT video screenshot)

Russia has been seeking to expand its influence in Latin America, especially since Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine and Russia's subsequent international isolation.

Russia's way of enlarging its influence in Latin America is comparable to its tactics in Africa, where it has primarily sought influence through arms deals, the use of its mercenaries, election interference, and disinformation.

As early as March 2015, General John Kelly, U.S. Marine Corps Commander, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying:

"Periodically since 2008, Russia has pursued an increased presence in Latin America through propaganda, military arms and equipment sales, counterdrug agreements, and trade. Under President [Vladimir] Putin, however, we have seen a clear return to Cold War-tactics. As part of its global strategy, Russia is using power projection in an attempt to erode U.S. leadership and challenge U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere."

While Russia's engagement in Latin America is not comparable in volume to that of China, Russia has, in recent years, nevertheless been significantly deepening its influence in Latin America. Of particular concern is that Russia has not only been strengthening its relations with old Latin American partners -- such as Cuba and Nicaragua, hailing back to the Cold War, and with Venezuela -- but that it is now forging new and stronger relationships with countries that were traditionally oriented towards the US, such as Brazil and Argentina.

Putin, just before he invaded Ukraine, met with the presidents of both Brazil and Argentina, while signing a security cooperation agreement with Venezuela.

Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) wrote in March:

"All of this is reminiscent of when Russia's then-president Dmitri Medvedev made an improvised visit to the region during the 2008 crisis in Georgia—all intended to demonstrate that Russia was not isolated internationally. Russian aggression in Europe is usually followed by military escalation in Latin America, as when it sent Tu-160 (nuclear-capable) military bombers to Venezuela for exercises in 2008, 2013, and 2018."

Dr. Evan Ellis, research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute and senior associate at the Americas Program at CSIS, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere in July:

"Recent demonstrations of Russia's hostile intent toward the U.S. and our partners in the Western Hemisphere include Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov's January 2022 suggestion that Russia might deploy military forces to Venezuela or Cuba, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov's February 2022 signing of a pact to increase military cooperation with Venezuela, and Nicaragua's June 2022 re-authorization for limited numbers of Russian troops and equipment to enter the country for training missions and other forms of support....

"Finally, while the hosting of Russian military activities has been exclusive to anti-U.S. authoritarian regimes, the willingness of some others to support and engage with Russia has been troubling. The primary examples include the symbolic and rhetorical support that the governments of Alberto Fernandez in Argentina and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil gave to Vladimir Putin, each while visiting him as his military stood poised to invade the Ukraine. Alberto Fernandez went so far as to offer his Argentine government as the 'gateway' for Russia's entry into Latin America. Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has called NATO's military aid to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression 'immoral.'"

In February, Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez made it clear that his country would be happy to exchange its orientation towards the US for Russian cooperation. He told Putin:

"We could be a venue for the development of your cooperation with Latin American nations... Since the 1990s, Argentina has been strongly oriented towards the United States. Argentina and its economy are largely dependent on the US and our relations with it. In fact, our debt to the IMF also emerged because of this relationship... I am consistently working to rid Argentina of this dependence on the IMF and the US. I want Argentina to open up new opportunities. Cooperation with Russia is vital for us. I would like to assure you, and I hope that you will accept my assurances that we do want to develop cooperation with Russia."

In June, Putin and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed their intention to strengthen their strategic partnership.

In March, General Laura J. Richardson, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia's actions in Latin America have been significantly deteriorating the security situation there, as well as enabling China to gain influence:

"Russia intensifies instability through its ties with Venezuela, entrenchment in Cuba and Nicaragua, and extensive disinformation operations. Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), which operate nearly uncontested, and blaze a trail of corruption and violence that create conditions that allow the PRC [People's Republic of China] and Russia to exploit, threaten citizen security, and undermine public confidence in government institutions."

Richardson went on to say that Russia is a significantly destabilizing factor in Latin America:

"Russia continues to destabilize the region and undermine democracy by flooding the region with disinformation, to include hundreds of articles distorting U.S. security actions. In 2020, Russia Today (RT)'s Spanish-language media outlets more than doubled their social media followers from 7 million to over 18 million. These disinformation campaigns are just one part of Russia's broader efforts to influence national elections throughout the region this year. Russia's relationship with its key regional partners— Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua—allow Moscow to expand its air and sea access to project military power throughout the region. Agreements with Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Brazil allow Russian warships to make port calls on short notice. Russia doubled its naval deployments in this region, increasing from five (2008-2014), to 11 (2015- 2020). Russia seeks inroads in the hemisphere by providing security training through $2.3 billion in weapons and military equipment sales in the last 10 years, to include direct sales to Venezuela."

Russia's growing influence in Latin America must be seen in conjunction with China's immense influence in the region, where it is already the largest trade partner, except for Mexico, as well as the largest investor. While 21 Latin American and Caribbean countries have signed onto China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Biden's Build Back Better World, which was launched in June 2021 as a means of countering China, has not even taken off yet. Unlike the BRI, which is financed by the People's Republic of China, Build Back Better mainly has to rely on private investors' willingness to take risks.

According to research scientist Ammar A. Malik, who heads AidData's Chinese Development Finance Program:

"This is not the first time that expectation has been built, but it's going to be quite challenging to get private companies to finance (projects) because at the end of the day, they're accountable to their shareholders and they want projects that are bankable,"

The combination of Chinese and Russian influence operations in Latin America amount to a considerable threat against US interests in the region.

The safety of the United States is "directly linked to resilience, stability, and security of our Latin American and Caribbean partners," according to General Richardson.

Despite this, "the United States has deprioritized and underinvested in the Western Hemisphere for decades," according to Ryan Berg from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"China and Russia support illiberal regimes throughout the hemisphere, such as Venezuela, that compound regional security challenges and hold back political transitions toward democracy."

Biden, while campaigning for the presidency in March 2020, in response to the question of whether China's growing influence in Latin America is a threat to U.S. national security, pledged to restore American leadership to the region.

"It is the current absence of American leadership in the Western Hemisphere that is the primary threat to U.S. national security. Russia and China can't match our extraordinary ties and common history with the people of Latin America and the Caribbean."

So far, Biden has nothing to show for those words, while Russia and China continue to consolidate their gains.

John Richardson is a researcher based in the United States.

© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Related Topics: Russia

Recent Articles by John Richardson

Who Is Actually Running the Country?, 2024-10-28
Iran's Gaza War: Unfortunately, A Ceasefire Deal Will Not Bring the Hostages Back, 2024-09-02
Release the Hostages, 2024-06-02
National Security Threat: Another Latin American Country Chooses China, 2023-03-28
China Inaugurating a New World Order?, 2023-03-17

receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free gatestone institute mailing list.

Comment on this item

19 Reader Comments

Zenobia van Dongen • Oct 3, 2022 at 16:56

You can say what you like about Russian media, but they are the only ones who do not censor criticism of Islam, whereas American MSM and international wire services have for many years now censored any news that might be detrimental to the reputation of Islam.

Reply->

Stephen Donnelly • Sep 30, 2022 at 22:39

Clearly. Russia and China would like to become partners and take over the United States and the rest of the world.

Steve

Reply->

Kenneth E. Smith • Sep 30, 2022 at 18:11

Russia's and China's intrusion into the Western Hemisphere is a direct consequence of weak American leadership.

Biden is without doubt the weakest and most unsuitable president America has suffered in the past 150 years.

Weak leadership and appeasement merely gives encouragement and incentives for those who wish America and the free world ill to push harder.

We live in dangerous and challenging times, America needs strong leadership, Biden has been and will be ever more so a disaster for the USA and the free World.

Reply->

dia tsung • Sep 30, 2022 at 14:30

Russia wanted peace but every agreement it had with the West was violated by NATO and the US. Members of the former Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact were poached by NATO in an effort to encircle Russia in a hostile stranglehold. The US and NATO have been violating the Minsk agreement for over a decade. The credible threat (some say it was more than just a threat) of establishing bio-weapons labs and missile installations in Ukraine was an existential weapon aimed at the heart of Russia. The West in its greed and hubris assumed it could menace Russian into submission, and when Russia responded to the menacing the West thought it would be a good idea to sanction Russia into submission with the aim of then grabbing a defeated Russia's energy and agricultural resources and rule the world unopposed. Of course, both these ill-advised agendas misfired in spectacular fashion. Now the crickets are chirping again, and the chorus is about Russia being a threat, and Russia's "unprovoked" attacks. Piling on these lies by repetition will not hide the truth, which is that Russia was and is acting in self-defense.

Reply->

Steven • Sep 30, 2022 at 13:13

The US leadership's policy priority is open borders. The Biden Administration encourages China's and Russia's Latin American, African and Middle Eastern policies since they enhance massive immigration into the US to fulfill the objectives of its de facto open borders policy.

Reply->

Brian Bridgman • Sep 30, 2022 at 11:29

Americans who have terrorised South America for around two centuries have to calm down. The power balance in the world is moving away from you and quite rightly so. Your destruction to this planet a few days ago by blowing up the Nordstream pipelines ejecting 300,000 tons of methane gas into the atmosphere and equivalent of 5 x million cars pollution per year for 20 years is inexcusable. Russia and China both are entitled to go wherever and trade with whom they wish without U.S. interference. Get used to your rapid decline with very poor leaders.

Reply->

Raymond Jardine • Sep 30, 2022 at 10:23

South America is a natural extension to America's strategy and economic development. There are risks but you just cannot afford to let China and Russia set up shop on our own doorstep. We need to protect and expand our influence in Latin America! Taking the right initiative today is building a better tomorrow, both for our neighbours and for ourselves. Risk aversion therapy is a death sentence for capitalism and Democracy. Truth or consequence.

Reply->

cammo99 • Sep 30, 2022 at 09:37

Here's an idea, instead of busing the illegals the democrats love so much but discard in their own communities.... send them to Moscow. Biden/Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats probably think the Russians are the answer anyways having learned nothing from Cold War.

Reply->

Daniel Myers • Sep 30, 2022 at 09:13

The Monroe Doctrine has to be updated to prohibit all this.

Reply->

Paul Symons • Sep 30, 2022 at 08:39

Russia may be only an honorary member of 'the bad boys club'* given its military reverses against a much smaller/weaker enemy. Russia's economy is relatively small. It may be seen to punch above its weight, but its getting lighter and lighter .....

*China, Iran, N Korea, Venezuela etc etc

Reply->

Raymond Tonns • Sep 30, 2022 at 07:02

China is the problem... the Belt and Road is the method of conquest of the world Russia is a problem they can send missiles to Cuba again, and what else? Their military is not what it used to be. Monroe Doctrine anyone?

Reply->

David Salinger

Raymond Tonns • Sep 30, 2022 at 17:42

The last time the Doctrine was used successfully was with JFK ! Since then it has been tested and failed. Gone forever!
A pity indeed !

Reply->

Hildegard Behrendt • Sep 30, 2022 at 06:16

And what about US-Intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Golf war etc. etc., which caused and where supposed to cause destabilization of Europe, I.e. Germany foremost?? Russia has peaceful ties to those countries in Latin America and Africa.

Reply->

Patricio

Hildegard Behrendt • Sep 30, 2022 at 09:10

Peaceful ties? Do you live in Latin America, as I do? Let me say that Russia supports every dictatorship in Latin America and promotes social instability. And I think it is not alone, but gets also support from Iran to create instability in our countries.

Reply->

David Salinger

Hildegard Behrendt • Sep 30, 2022 at 17:45

Really! I live on a Caribbean Island six miles from Venezuela. We don't share your point of view at all!

Reply->

Russell Hicks • Sep 30, 2022 at 05:24

NONE of this would be happening if Americans had made efforts to realise the Cold War was over when Gorbachev sat down with Reagan. Communism in Russia was finished and smart diplomacy and good relations INSTEAD OF SECRET PLOTTING AGAINST RUSSIA would now see this mostly Christian country on our side, not an enemy. American meddling in Ukraine from 2014 was PRECISELY the dumbest thing to do. No wonder China is light years ahead.

Reply->

Kenneth E. Smith

Russell Hicks • Sep 30, 2022 at 18:05

Totally agree.
George HW Bush sowed the seeds of detente with Russia, he was hesitant to give Gorbachev the aid he repeated pleaded for, which contributed to the ousting of Gorbachev.
Bush gave Gorbachev a verbal undertaking that there would be no eastwards expansion of NATO, Clinton ignored this undertaking by his predecessor on the basis of there being no formal written agreement.
An opportunity lost, and look where it has got the world.

Reply->

Steven

Kenneth E. Smith • Oct 1, 2022 at 14:13

This goes to show American foreign policy objectives are no more stable than a weather vane which points in a different direction with every change of the breeze.
Back and forth every administration, and economic policy is even worse, gyrating between tax and spend administrations and financial retrenchment of Laffler Curve economics with tax cuts and reduced spending.
As international financial and war conditions deteriorate, expect even more uncertainty in American politics,both domestically and internationally.
More countries are likely to break up unless they're held together by military interventions.

Reply->

Kenneth E. Smith

Steven • Oct 1, 2022 at 21:21

I am not an American, but Australasian, and we have always supported and stood alongside America as a cornerstone of our own security, in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, my contribution as an Air Force officer being Viet Nam.
However, as the threat builds with China over Taiwan, and Chinese determination to achieve hegemony in not only the South China Sea, but in the Pacific and Australia's near North, there is an very worrying uncertainty that the United States under Biden will renege on any guarantees and allow China a relatively free hand, and Taiwan will merely be the first step. I believe it is becoming inevitable that there will be conflict in SE Asia and the Pacific and unfortunately it will be at a time and place of China's choosing on China's initiative and terms.
Appeasement is seen as weakness, remember Rhineland, Anschluss, Sudetenland and finally Poland leading to WW2.

I see George HW Bush as the last great American President, it is a pity he only had 1 term, but the home economy trumps International affairs at the ballot box.

The Democrats' last 4 Presidents have hardly been stellar, with Clinton having the honour of doing the least harm. Obama's greatest attribute being to make Jimmy Carter seem dynamic, but Biden, How and Why?
His voice is an expressionless monologue, he has as much charisma as a tailor's dummy, and is as dynamic as a flat, time-expired battery.
His only attribute is that he is establishment and NOT Trump, but surely there have been huge debts incurred that are to be repaid following his winning the Presidency.
Trump for all his faults, and not being particularly likeable, was not political establishment and did put America first.

With Biden at the helm, and being the de facto leader of the free World, no wonder so many non Americans feel very uneasy about their middle to long term futures.

Reply->