Authoritarians Next Door

Two significant events took place in Washington, D.C., during the first half of July: the NATO Summit and Captive Nations Week. Both addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how Putin, China, Iran, and North Korea are pushing for a multipolar world order. Understandably, all eyes were focused east. But there are good reasons for the United States to also pay attention to its own neighborhood. After all, if Russia, Iran, and China are focusing on the Western Hemisphere, so should we.

Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has launched a renewed Latin American influence campaign. As Iria Puyosa, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council, clearly summarizes, “Russia intervenes in Latin America by supporting non-democratic leftist governments and fostering alliances with the most radical political sectors of the continent. Above all, Putin’s regime seeks to align the political interests and conflicts of the region’s countries with its narrative of a multipolar world, which means the consecration of Russia, a markedly illiberal regime, as the undisputed leader of international geopolitics.”

HA

About the Author

Hernán Alberro

Hernán Alberro is the Latin America program manager at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

Featured Tags

Two significant events took place in Washington, D.C., during the first half of July: the NATO Summit and Captive Nations Week. Both addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and how Putin, China, Iran, and North Korea are pushing for a multipolar world order. Understandably, all eyes were focused east. But there are good reasons for the United States to also pay attention to its own neighborhood. After all, if Russia, Iran, and China are focusing on the Western Hemisphere, so should we.

Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin has launched a renewed Latin American influence campaign. As Iria Puyosa, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council, clearly summarizes, “Russia intervenes in Latin America by supporting non-democratic leftist governments and fostering alliances with the most radical political sectors of the continent. Above all, Putin’s regime seeks to align the political interests and conflicts of the region’s countries with its narrative of a multipolar world, which means the consecration of Russia, a markedly illiberal regime, as the undisputed leader of international geopolitics.”