Patrushev's Statements and Russia's Expansionist Strategy in the Region

Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, has recently made some alarming statements during its visit to Nicaragua. He pledged support for Latin American countries, specifically. Nicaragua, against what he describes as alleged interference by the United States. These remarks should not be taken lightly. They demand a robust rejection from democratic institutions and nations within the Inter-American system for various reasons.

These assertions raise serious concerns about democracy and regional stability, as they reflect Russia's policy to challenge international law to advance Vladimir Putin's interests. More so, they underscore the Kremlin's policy of confrontation with Western nations, not only those in NATO's Europe but also across the Americas. Patrushev's actions represent a a direct threat to the United States on behalf of Putin's regime hinted through the close bond between the two dictators—Putin and Ortega—suggests a Russian presence ramping up in Central America.

Patrushev's specific mention of Nicaragua in his declarations also implies a deliberate effort by Russia to bolster its influence in Latin America, particularly in military and security aspects. We all understand that Russia is not the power it claimed to be post-Cold War, but its ability to destabilize the world should not be underestimated. Putin has chosen to lean on the world's most authoritarian regimes that share his animosity towards the West and, particularly, towards the United States. This network of dictators and human rights violators operates like an organized criminal enterprise, to undermine democracy and challenge the influence of the United States and Europe.

Patrushev's history with Putin dates back to their KGB days in Saint Petersburg, where he's known for championing the Kremlin's stringent policies. He has often appeared in Russian media defending Putin's decision to launch the large-scale invasion of Ukraine and is considered a probable successor to the Russian presidency. His well-established role as a vehement critic of the West further compounds concerns over Russia's ambitions in Latin America.

His recent pronouncements in Managua closely match those he made on February 16th in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at a security council secretaries meeting discussing Afghanistan. He blamed the West for stirring conflicts in places like Ukraine and the Middle East, aiming to sustain its global hegemony, implying that the chaos ostensibly benefits Washington.

"Our assembly is convening amid an unprecedented worsening of the international landscape. The root cause is the Western desire to assert its supremacy in global affairs at all costs," reported Russian state media, quoting Patrushev.

Patrushev's repetitive alarmist statements appear to underscore a Putin-directed scheme to bolster military alliances with autocratic regimes that share a mutual disdain for the West. The objective seems to be the establishment of a so-called new order where the liberal democratic framework, currently represented by countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and members of the European Union, would give way to what some analysts refer to as "illiberal regimes."

In this vein, Ortega's rapport with Putin is hardly surprising. The dictator's affinity for regimes such as Aleksandr Lukashenko's Belarus, Kim Jong Un's North Korea, Xi Jinping's China, and the rest of the tyrants' club showcases his fascination with Putin's model. There are dangerous similarities among these rulers, such as Putin's ambitions in Ukraine and Xi's claims over Taiwan.

In the Nicaraguan context, particularly alarming is this infatuation with tyranny leading Nicaragua into a needless and hazardous entanglement in a new Cold War. Months ago, I criticized the attitude of General Julio Cesar Avilés, head of the Nicaraguan Army, for irresponsibly dragging the Nicaraguan armed forces into a conflict far removed from Nicaragua's shores. This is a historical blunder of enormous magnitude, reminiscent of those made in the 1980s.

Finally, this commentary would be incomplete without a stern call to attention regarding the West's lack of action, especially the United States, which has been progressively relinquishing its spheres of influence in Latin America to regimes like those of China, Russia, and even Iran. It is time for the United States to acknowledge its geopolitical responsibility in the Americas, not only as the leading force of the free world but as a vital ally to its partners in the Americas who believe in a world founded on the principles of liberty, the rule of law, and human rights — not in the dark new world order that tyrants like Putin and Xi wish to promote, with the flattery of petty dictators like Ortega, the last remnant of the Cold War era.