The U.S. Against 'Russian Influence Operations' in Latin America

Voice of America reported that U.S. officials consider the publication of a Spanish-language article claiming that the United States and Western countries are stealing religious artifacts from Ukraine as an example of Russian influence operations in Latin America. The article, published in August, questions why sacred objects are being transferred from Ukraine to the West, suggesting that the aim of sending Ukrainian religious artifacts to the United States and other countries is to loot Ukraine's wealth under the pretext of saving them from destruction in the war between Kyiv and Moscow. According to the report, the author's name, listed as Nadia Schwartz, may be entirely fictitious. A U.S. State Department official, who requested anonymity, told Voice of America, 'Honestly, I don't know if this name is real or not.' This official, who is aware of the details of Russian influence operations in Latin America, said it is difficult to know whether the article has gained attention. 'Persenza' is the name of the organization that published the article, which does not show the number of views on its website, but a post about this article on social media had only 24 views. The U.S. official stated that the only reason for the lack of attention to such operations is that they are still 'in the early stages.' According to this official, this is why the U.S. decided to expose the issue and issued a statement on November 7 detailing Russian operations. The U.S. State Department described Russia's efforts as a 'continuing campaign of disinformation that is well-funded and involves at least 13 countries, from Argentina and Chile in the south to Mexico in the north.' According to U.S. officials, the goal is to attract and nurture Russian propaganda organizations and internet companies, journalists, activists, and public opinion leaders in Latin America to publish content favorable to Moscow while concealing any ties to the Kremlin. James Rubin, the special envoy and coordinator of the Global Engagement Center at the State Department, told Voice of America that they have been somewhat successful in using RT, the Russian 24-hour news network, and the Russian news agency Sputnik in Latin America for this purpose. U.S. officials stated that it is unclear how many journalists and activists Russia is feeding misinformation to. However, a senior State Department official told Voice of America, 'There are certainly some who are willing to hear fake information.' The Voice of America report mentions three Spanish-language companies that write topics for news articles aligned with Moscow's priorities in Spanish and then disseminate them throughout Latin America, possibly gaining attention from mainstream media as well. U.S. officials said the reason for raising the alarm about Russian influence operations in Latin America is to inform those targeted by this Russian campaign so they can make their own decisions.