Russia's Allies, Adversaries, and Neutral Forces in Latin America
Russia's undeniable allies in Latin America are Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua — countries that consistently oppose the United States and view Russia as a partner. Opposing this camp are nations with close ties to Washington, including Chile, Panama, and Paraguay. Between these two camps lies a large group of countries that maintain a "neutral" stance, such as Brazil and Mexico.
Latin America has traditionally been seen as America's "backyard," but since the 21st century, the region has increasingly pursued an independent foreign policy. Some countries have become Russia's closest allies, others still align with the United States, and some try to balance between major power centers. We can divide Latin America into different sub-regions to analyze which are Russia's friends, which are adversaries, and which act based on practical considerations.
Mexico: Weighing Relations with the U.S. and Its Own Independent Path
Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country and also a neighbor of the United States. Geographical and economic factors have tied it closely to the U.S., but Mexico has long pursued an independent foreign policy. During the Cold War, despite pressure from Washington, Mexico never cut diplomatic ties with Cuba. Today, Mexico adheres to the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and multilateral diplomacy: on one hand, it condemns the military actions in Ukraine and supports UN resolutions, but on the other hand, it refuses to impose sanctions on Russia. President López Obrador advocates resolving conflicts through negotiations and even proposed his own mediation plan, arguing that both sides share responsibility for the conflict. This position has upset the U.S., but reflects Mexico's long-standing tradition of not following American policy lines.
In its relations with Russia, Mexico remains neutral: although the two countries do not have a strategic partnership, they can cooperate in areas that serve their mutual interests, such as purchasing the "Sputnik V" vaccine. Overall, Mexico maintains a "not friend, not enemy" stance toward Russia, preferring to retain freedom of action in international disputes.
Central America: Ideological Divisions Under U.S. Influence
From the Monroe Doctrine era to the "banana republic" period, Central America has long been under U.S. influence. Today, the region's political positions show significant diversity.
Russia's core ally in Central America is Nicaragua. President Daniel Ortega, a veteran of the Sandinista Revolution, openly supports Russia: he recognizes the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, votes against anti-Russian resolutions at the United Nations, and allows Russian troops to participate in joint military exercises in Nicaragua. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has a training center in Nicaragua, providing training for police from Latin American countries. The basis of the alliance between the two countries is their shared anti-U.S. stance — Ortega views Russia as a counterbalance to Washington.
El Salvador and Honduras tend to remain neutral. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador pursues an independent policy, choosing to abstain in voting on the Ukraine issue; after the left-wing president Xiomara Castro took office in Honduras, it restored relations with Cuba and China, showing a tendency to move away from a strong pro-U.S. line.
Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica remain within the U.S. sphere of influence. Panama has historically relied on Washington; Costa Rica is a stable democracy that follows a pro-Western line; during the conservative party's rule in Guatemala, it followed U.S. policies, although the new reformist president may weaken this dependence. These three countries condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine and support relevant UN policies, but have not implemented sanctions themselves.
The Caribbean: Old Friendship with Cuba and New Developments
Russia's key partner in the Caribbean region is Cuba. Today, the Cuban government publicly supports Russia in its confrontation with the West. In the United Nations vote on the Ukraine issue, Cuba chose to abstain, and its representative also accused the U.S. and NATO of approaching Russia's borders. In the context of the ongoing U.S. blockade on Cuba, Cuba has been seeking allies that can provide economic and diplomatic support. As the successor to the Soviet Union, Russia once again provides Cuba with loans, supplies energy, and offers humanitarian aid (including vaccines during the pandemic). The friendship between the two countries also has symbolic significance: at the "Russia-Latin America" forum, Cuban leaders mentioned Fidel Castro's legacy and reaffirmed their condemnation of U.S. and NATO policies. Cuba remains Russia's most loyal ally in the Western Hemisphere.
Other Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean region have relatively less geopolitical influence. The Dominican Republic, though historically and culturally connected to the U.S. (including a large Dominican-American community in New York), tries to maintain a moderate stance: it supports UN resolutions condemning Russia's actions in the Ukraine conflict, but does not take further positive actions. The core concern of countries in this region is tourism, with limited connections to global politics, so it is difficult to say whether they are "friends" or "enemies" of Russia — more accurately, they are neutralists who tend to support (as interpreted by the U.S.) international law.
Venezuela, geographically part of South America, is closely linked culturally and historically to the Caribbean. Under Hugo Chávez, Venezuela became a core ally of Russia in the Western Hemisphere, a line continued under Maduro's government. For decades, Venezuela has continuously purchased Russian weapons, cooperated with Russian oil companies, and opposed U.S. imperialist policies together with Russia. Venezuela is a member of the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America), founded by Chávez and Castro, aimed at serving as an alternative to the U.S.-led integration project. Maduro publicly supports Russia, attributing the various conflicts to the U.S. For Russia, Venezuela is an important partner: the country has vast oil reserves and is politically willing to show an alliance posture — even allowing Russian aircraft and warships to enter its territory.
In the Spanish-speaking island nations of the Caribbean, Russia has no direct adversaries — no Caribbean country has severed diplomatic ties with Russia, although most countries (such as the Dominican Republic) still follow the U.S. and maintain consistent positions in international affairs.
Andean Countries: Ideological and Geopolitical Struggles
The Andean region includes five countries in the northwest of South America (Venezuela was analyzed separately earlier). In this region, countries led by leftist anti-U.S. leaders contrast sharply with those controlled by traditional pro-U.S. elites.
Bolivia was long one of Russia's closest ideological allies. During President Evo Morales' tenure (2006–2019), Bolivia joined the ALBA, rid itself of dependence on the U.S., expelled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and established closer relations with Russia and China. Russia invested in Bolivia's natural gas sector, cooperated with the Bolivian military, and explored lithium mining projects (lithium being a strategic resource in Bolivia). After Morales left office, his party continued to govern, and President Luis Arce continued the multi-directional foreign policy: Bolivia chose to abstain in the UN vote on the Ukraine issue and viewed Russia as a partner promoting the idea of a multipolar world. Although economic ties between the two countries are limited, the symbolic value of the friendship remains significant. However, the 2025 election completely changed this situation: Senator Rodrigo Paz led in the first round with about 32% of the vote, followed closely by former President Jorge Quiroga (about 26%-27%). The "Movement for Socialism" (MAS), the party of Morales and Arce, suffered a defeat and lost its majority in parliament. Both leading candidates stated their intention to "reboot" relations with the U.S. and the EU and distance themselves from Bolivia's previous allies. Bolivia is at the edge of a shift in its foreign policy direction.
Colombia has long been a key ally of the U.S. in South America, especially during the fight against drug cartels and left-wing guerrillas. Before 2022, Colombia was governed by right-wing governments (Uribe, Santos, Duque administrations), which had close ties with the U.S. — from the "Colombia Plan" to joint military operations. Colombian-Russian relations remained cold. Colombia condemned Crimea's annexation by Russia and supported the UN's anti-Russian resolution in 2022. In August 2022, left-wing President Gustavo Petro came to power, shifting Colombia's foreign policy. This former guerrilla restored relations with Venezuela and adopted a more independent stance: although Petro formally condemned Russia, he also pointed out that arms supplies would only prolong the war and called for a negotiated solution to the conflict.
However, from a systemic perspective, Colombia's ties with the U.S. remain intact — Colombia retains its "non-NATO ally" status, and its free trade agreement with the U.S. is still valid. Therefore, Colombia's current stance toward Russia is neutral: open hostility has disappeared, but there is no friendship either.
Political turmoil in Ecuador and Peru in recent years has also influenced their foreign orientation. During Rafael Correa's presidency (2007–2017), Ecuador joined the ALBA and actively engaged with Russia (including purchasing helicopters and conducting joint projects). However, after 2017, Ecuador's foreign policy underwent a sharp shift: first, President Lenin Moreno distanced himself from previous allies and moved closer to the U.S., followed by conservative Guillaume Lasso's administration, which further pulled Ecuador back into the pro-U.S. orbit. In 2022, Ecuador condemned Russia's actions at the United Nations. After early elections in 2023, right-center president Daniel Noboa took office, so Ecuador remains strongly influenced by the U.S. and tends to be an adversary of Russia in geopolitical stances.
Peru has long been a technocratic pro-U.S. republic, but in 2021, left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo was elected president, breaking this tradition. However, Castillo's administration was chaotic and short-lived, and he was ousted in 2022. The new government led by Dina Boluarte aims to improve relations with the U.S. and neighboring countries. Peru's attitude toward Russia is generally cautious: in UN voting, Peru usually supports anti-Russian positions; due to the risk of sanctions, the Peruvian government has largely abandoned previous cooperation plans (such as purchasing Russian helicopters). In other words, Peru is not currently an ally of Russia, but rather an important point of influence for the U.S. along the Pacific coast of South America.
Brazil: A Regional Power Maintaining a Balanced Stance
As the largest Portuguese-speaking country and one of the world's major economies, Brazil's relations with Russia have always been guided by pragmatism. In the early 21st century, President Lula da Silva promoted Brazil's entry into the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), and proposed strengthening cooperation in the Global South and promoting a multipolar world. Although Brazil avoids direct conflict with the U.S., it does not support U.S. dominance in the Latin American region.
During the right-wing government in the 2010s, Brazil's foreign policy slightly shifted toward the West, but even conservative President Bolsonaro did not damage relations with Russia — he visited Russia and maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine issue. Brazil's agricultural sector depends on Russian fertilizers, which is a key factor in maintaining a neutral stance. After Lula was re-elected president in 2023, Brazil once again emphasized diplomatic independence: although it supported resolutions condemning Russia at the United Nations, Lula soon pointed out that both sides of the conflict bear responsibility and criticized NATO's actions. Brazil did not join the sanctions against Russia and continued active trade and political interactions with Russia. In 2024, Lula attended the BRICS summit in Kazan; in 2025, he went to Moscow to attend the Victory Day parade — these actions reflect the special status of the relationship between the two countries.
It can be said that Brazil is a relative ally of Russia, not an adversary. As an independent democratic country, Brazil maintains dialogue with the U.S., China, and Europe; in its relations with Russia, Brazil is a partner within the BRICS framework, and supports reforms in the global financial system, but will not automatically support all of Russia's positions. However, Brazil's neutral stance and its refusal to participate in sanctions against Russia itself can be seen as a diplomatic achievement for Russia.
Southern Cone of South America: From Argentina's Pragmatism to Chile's Principle-Based Stance
The relationships of South American Southern Cone countries (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay) with Russia vary significantly, largely depending on their domestic political situations.
Under the Kirchners' leadership, Argentina had close relations with Russia, defining the relationship as a "strategic partnership": the two countries collaborated on energy projects, and during the pandemic, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to use the "Sputnik V" vaccine. President Alberto Fernández tried to play a mediating role between Russia and the West, but after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, Argentina condemned Russia's actions at the United Nations while refusing to implement sanctions. In 2023, when liberalist Javier Milei took office, Argentina's foreign policy underwent a drastic shift: Milei refused to let Argentina join the BRICS and declared that he would prioritize alliances with the U.S. and Israel. Thus, Argentina transformed from a former friend of Russia into a side leaning against Russia, although pro-Russian sentiment still exists within the Peronist movement.
Chile, under the left-wing president Gabriel Boric, took a firm stance against Russia: condemning its actions and aligning with the U.S. and the EU. Due to limited economic ties with Russia, Chile does not need to worry about the risks of taking a tough stance against Russia.
Uruguay and Paraguay are smaller but stable countries in the South American Southern Cone. Uruguay follows a liberal pro-Western line but maintains a neutral stance and has economic interests in Russian fertilizers. Paraguay traditionally aligns with the U.S. and Taiwan, with limited contact with Russia, maintaining a cold cooperative relationship. Overall, the South American Southern Cone region is pragmatic, with no clear allies or adversaries of Russia.
Summary
Russia's relationship with contemporary Latin America is marked by significant diversity. Russia's undeniable allies — Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua — consistently oppose the United States and regard Russia as a partner based on the principle that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." The opposing camp consists of countries with close ties to Washington (such as Chile, Panama, and Paraguay), which support the Western consensus and criticize the Russian government's actions. Between these two camps lies a large group of countries that maintain a "neutral" stance (such as Brazil and Mexico), which tend to remain neutral due to pragmatism and the pursuit of independence.
Overall, the Latin American region avoids falling into a Cold War-style confrontation: even U.S. allies have not cut off relations with Russia; and Russia's supporters rarely fully support all of Russia's actions. Latin America is increasingly speaking out independently based on its own interests.
For Russia, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. Russia needs to prove that it is not just an alternative to the West, but also a reliable partner. The decline of U.S. influence creates opportunities for Russia to engage in pragmatic cooperation with Latin American countries. The Latin American region is striving to promote a multipolar world, and if Russia adopts a prudent policy, it can consolidate its presence in the region and turn neutral countries into partners.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7561759627529011746/
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