Russia tries to gain momentum on its road map in Latin AmericaHe began to be questioned due to the international consequences of his invasion of Ukraine. A football match with overwhelming superiority over the Cubans, Enthusiastic greetings to Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega on your birthday and new actions to strengthen Alliance between Moscow and Caracas These are predictable signs of Vladimir Putin’s policy towards the region. The Kremlin hopes that the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will open new doors Brazil, one of its preferred partners. The group’s last meeting in Saint Petersburg was attended by Latin American businessmen and invited countries such as Bolivia, where the Russian state company Uranium One Group will begin mining lithium. Moscow also wants to show signs of pragmatism. bridges to argentina It is run by the far right.
Since the mid-1990s, Russian foreign policy, first through Foreign Minister Evguéni Primakov and now under the guidance of his successor Sergei Lavrov, has viewed Latin America as a pillar in the so-called process of building Latin America. “a multipolar worldThe invasion of Ukraine put the brakes on this momentum. Although the region has not united its voice in condemnation, the situation has not been the same since February 2022.
Right now, HE Kremlin Has privileged ties with Cuba, Venezuela and NicaraguaCountries that silence any expression of criticism or rejection of Putin’s desires. Bolivia abstained from condemning. Brazil, Mexico and Argentina condemned the invasion but sought to differentiate themselves from the US and EU. “We will not hand over Russian weapons to be taken to Ukraine to prolong the war, even if they remain as scrap metal in Colombia,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro told the United Nations General Assembly last February. And he added: “We are not on the side of any party. We are for peace“. The left-wing government of Chilean President Gabriel Boric and the center-right government of Uruguay, led by Luis Lacalle Pou, have been the most decisive move away from Russia since the war.
“Common interests”
Minister Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tried to mediate between Moscow and Kievbut their desires did not come true. According to different media, Lula rejected the possibility of receiving Volodímir Zelensky within the framework of his last stormy visit to Buenos Aires, where he attended the inauguration of Javier Milei. After embracing the far right, the Ukrainian player said, “It is important to have a strong voice in Latin America like Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Ecuador on our side.”
Moscow monitored the situation from afar and said it was “interested in improving bilateral relations” with Buenos Aires despite the deep ideological shift. “We intend focus on our common interests“said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. This request did not deprive Putin of questioning the anarcho-capitalist program, “even though it was a sovereign decision.” The dollarization of the economy, or the tying of its fate to that currency, is, surprisingly, the Government “under very difficult conditions in terms of domestic political stability.”
The concept of “common interests” is clearly another meaning With the countries with the most political closeness. On November 20, the Russian football team played in Havana not just to celebrate decades of friendship. The Russian team is excluded from the competition and cannot find anyone to play with. They won by eight goals to nil. His superiority on the field also extends to bilateral relations.
The island owes him $2.3 billion. This obligation is being systematically restructured due to Havana’s inability to pay. Now, Moscow’s economic presence becomes increasingly visibleAs confirmed by the recent visit of Boris Titov, chairman of the Russia-Cuba Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Thousands of tourists staying on the island, the largest of the Antilles, were enabled days ago to access Mir debit cards, Russia’s Visa and Mastercard alternative, at Cuban payment terminals.
Maduro’s friend
This banking alternative seems unlikely to be implemented in Turkey. A. Venezuelan increasingly dollarized. Moscow and oil giant Rosneft have provided at least $17 billion in loans and credit lines to this country since 2006. Beyond these asymmetries, Putin will soon sign a partnership and “strategic cooperation” agreement with Caracas.
Nicolas Maduroreported, he needs to go to Moscow before the end of the year. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil said relations were experiencing their “best moments”. Both governments “share” same principles and they fully agree on their positions within the framework of the UN and other international platforms. On December 11, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman María Zajárova explained the Kremlin’s position on the dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over Essequibo: About 160,000 kilometers of oil belonging to the latter country, which Caracas wishes to annex under the pretext of the result of a recent public consultation in which half of the electorate voted and mineral rich region. “We assume that this issue is an issue,” Zajárova said, “Venezuela-Guyana relations should be resolved within the framework of good neighborliness, seeking peaceful and mutually acceptable solutions in accordance with international law, agreements signed between the parties and existing national legislation.” she said. The intervention did not go unnoticed in Washington.
In this context, the existence of the Russian media is subject to contradictory interpretations. Before the invasion, the Spanish-language audience of the RT portal was approximately 21 million. His social media accounts had approximately 25 million followers. These contents have been blocked on YouTube and it is said that this flow has decreased in general. However, RT’s news dated November 21 was celebrated US “recognition” of the “influence” of Russian media in the region. The portal quotes James Rubin, special envoy and coordinator of the State Department’s Center for Global Engagement, as identifying a “sustained and well-financed disinformation campaign” involving at least 13 countries, from Argentina and Chile in the south to Mexico. This incident cannot be verified.