Russia and Latin America in the 21st Century: A Difficult Rapprochement
This article analyses Russia’s relations with Latin America in the first two decades of the 21st century in the light of global political and economic processes.
Many different types of cooperation and interaction between Russia and the region are examined. The article places particular emphasis on military-technical cooperation as the “axis” of Russia’s bilateral relations with many countries, but other sectors, such as energy, infrastructure and transport, are also explored in detail. It finishes with a case study of Venezuela, which occupies a unique place in Russia’s relations with the region.
Relations between Russia and Latin America are developing against this backdrop of growing confrontation between the USA and China. Moscow’s policy is designed to infringe on both parties’ interests as little as possible. Russia is forced to be extremely careful in this regard. Such caution cannot but leave its mark on Russian policy in the region, which is very limited.
Andrey Pyatakov is the lead researcher at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow (ILA RAN).
Download the full analysis
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
Russia and Latin America in the 21st Century: A Difficult Rapprochement
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programsFind out more
Discover all our analysesDeathonomics: The Social, Political, and Economic Costs of War in Russia
The report attempts to outline and examine a truly new phenomenon in Russian society, dubbed “deathonomics”—the making of a mercenary army against the backdrop of the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, eventually replacing both the Soviet (conscript) and early new Russian (contract) armies. It notes that, by the end of 2023, this trend had turned the military service into one of the highest-paying professions in the country, something not seen in Russia on such a scale since the late 17th century.
Russia's Asia Strategy: Bolstering the Eagle's Eastern Wing
Among Russia’s strategic priorities, Asia traditionally played a secondary role compared to the West. In the mid-1990s, then Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov initiated a rapprochement with China and India. Then, in 2014, deteriorating relations between Russia and the West prompted Moscow to begin its “great pivot to the East”.
Kazakhstan After the Double Shock of 2022: Political, Economic and Military Consequences
The year 2022 represented a dual shock for Kazakhstan. In January, the country faced its most severe political crisis since independence, followed in February by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which cast uncertainty over the borders of post-Soviet states. These consecutive crises profoundly shaped Kazakhstan’s domestic and foreign policy.
How the Russian Army Changed its Concept of War, 1993-2022
The traditional and high-intensity war that has occurred in Ukraine since Russia decided to invade raises a key issue: did post-soviet Russian strategic thought really prepare Russia for waging this war?