Russia’s Public Diplomacy in Latin America Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions: Key Actors, Obstacles, and Opportunities

Amid the intensified confrontation between Russia and the so-called collective West, fostering constructive dialogue with Latin American civil society and political elites has acquired particular significance in terms of advancing Russia’sforeign policy interests and shaping its positive image among the nations of the Global Majority. This article identifies the specific features of how key Russian public diplomacy institutions have operated in Latin America since the launch of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and assesses the prospects for their development given the current international situation. The first section highlights the role of international broadcasting in conveying Russia’s foreign policy stance to target audiences in the region. In this regard, the author shows that the activities of Russian overseas diplomatic institutions are no less important than those of the media — ‘RT en Español’, ‘Sputnik Mundo’, and ‘Sputnik Brazil’. The second section examines the role of cultural diplomacy in advancing Russian interests in Latin America. The author concludes that Rossotrudnichestvo plays the most important role in this regard, offering a broad range of creative initiatives aimed at fostering closer cultural ties between the peoples of Russia and Latin America. It is also noted that certain cultural diplomacy actors, such as Russian Houses and diplomatic missions, the Gorchakov Foundation, and the Institute of Latin America, demonstrate a high degree of coordination in foreign policy efforts through organizing joint events. The third section examines the constraints and opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of Russia’s public diplomacy in the region. The former include restrictive measures by the United States and its allies, as well as a persistently high level of critical sentiment towards Russia in a number of Latin American states. The latter include the policy of the Trump administration, which fuels anti-American sentiments in some countries, and, most importantly, contributes to the growing demand among the peoples of Latin America for a more fair and sustainable world order. The author concludes that Russian public diplomacy in the region possesses significant, yet largely untapped, potential. To unleash it, it is necessary to pay more attention to digital diplomacy tools and expand the range and scope of cultural diplomacy programs.

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