How Russia Is Trying to Regain Influence in Latin America
Planned naval exercises with Venezuela, plus big energy deals, get Washington's notice
Even among friendlier nations, the United States has lost much of its influence, says Peter Hakim, head of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington that specializes in the Americas. "The financial turmoil greatly reduces our credibility. Economic management was the area that Latin American most looked to us: They wanted U.S. trade; they wanted U.S. investment."
This could be good for Russia—assuming it continues to seek close ties with the region. But Russia may simply be looking to Latin America now to make a point about Georgia, says Gregory Weeks, a Latin America expert at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. "It's a signal to the United States about U.S. involvement in what Russia considers its own sphere of influence," he says. "I don't see this as something that Russia intends to continue with or expand. Rather, they're saying to us, 'You've been pushing us too far, and we can push back.' "
At any rate, it may be premature to worry about Russian domination of the region, considering the long-established influence of countries like the United States and China. China is Brazil's third-largest trading partner after the United States and Argentina, and Brazil exported $11 billion of goods there last year. "The Chinese engagement in Latin America is clearly going to be with us for a long time," says Hakim. "It's not clear to me what Russia's interest is."
And Russia has been hit hard by the credit crunch—its two main stock exchanges, the Micex and the RTS Index, plunged around 70 percent between May and October. So, for now, global expansion may take second place to resolving the financial crisis.
Reader Comments
Sick and Tierd of Anti-Russians
Im sick and tierd of people thinking of russia like a supply depot.
Im sick and tierd of evryone whiping their legs on russians. Im sick and tierd of People not respection Russian women.
Im sick and tierd of People thinking about Russian Peopel as SLUTS.
Im sick and tierd of American movies showing that Russia is always the bad one.
Im sick and tierd of evry single country comment Russian every step as a brutal and savage thing to do.
Im sick and tierd of people kissing Russian Asses when they need something.(politicians)
Im sick and tierd of people thining that Russia is the one who caused Chaos during 1941-1945.
Im sick and tierd of people making jokes about Russian politicians.
But i will laugh my Ass of when They'll beg for Help!
Self-sustainability
Russia can be considered as a superpower in economic and resource sectors, not so much in military might. Economics and resources are what truly matters in this day and age. But even in military industrial might, compared to the United States, Russia has an advantage. Russia has the industry and resources at home to produce and sustain a war. The United States has to rely on foreign sources of energy, manufacturing, and even services in order to maintain a level of sustainability. If a group of these nations fall in the hands of anti-american governments, the United States, without a manufacturing base, will feel it immediately and will encounter a long, enduring process in recreating the manufacturing/production base it has so flippantly discharged to outside entities through outsourcing.
We should be suprised by why we're suprised.
This should not be seen completely pessimistically. Of course it comes as a shock that the Russian economy has surged so quickly and their influence in the world has been growing steadily, especially so close to North America, and especially for those of us who grew up in the West and remember the days when the Soviet Union collapsed because we were explained in schools and textbooks that the communist system made its own demise. But Russia is the largest country in the world and it has vasts amounts of natural riches and very able people to make it strong. The only mistake was to think that Russia was colapsed forever, and that no effort was made prepare ourselves for when it reamerges. We were stuck, and are still stuck in a cold war mentality, where there is a common enemy. Where there is "them" and there is "us". Where we always presume that we know what we are doing. But abroad many people in many countries don't see america as the only global power, in fact don't care about america, and don't think they need it to be a progressive and democratic sociey, for that they look towards europe. As for economy many look to china as the future. But I must quote Putin and Medvedev, when they say the only way forward is to have a "multipolar world", without a single superpower. Then Iraqi type scandals will be far smaller and less in numbers in the future.
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