Tensions on Ukraine’s eastern border resulted, on February 24, in a massive invasion by Russia. During the first 48 hours of hostilities, the reactions of the world’s governments did not take long, especially through social networks. Most Latin American governments have categorically rejected the use of force in conflict resolution. However, as expected, authoritarians in the region closed ranks in support of Russia.
Latin American voices in the Security Council
Within the predominant diplomatic position of condemnation of the invasion, Mexico and Brazil stand out mainly. These are non-permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations and since the early hours of Thursday (24), they met in an emergency to generate a resolution that mainly allows the ceasefire. So far this has not been achieved, as Russia exercised the right of veto, despite being the only vote against the resolution.
In these deliberations, both the spokesperson for the representative of Brazil, Ronaldo Costa Filho, and the Mexican ambassador, Alicia Buenrrostro, despite the ideological differences of both governments, were in agreement about the rejection of what they called a “flagrant violation of international law “.
Both highlighted the importance of returning to negotiations, complying with the Minsk agreements and warned of the human cost that this armed incursion will cause. The Mexican diplomat even questioned the Russian representative, Vasili Alekseyevich Nebenzia, directly for having assured several times that Russia would not invade Ukraine.
In addition to these statements, governments such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have coordinated efforts, since Friday (25), to collaborate in the logistical work of evacuating their nationals in Ukraine or in Eastern European nations.
In Latin America, however, the movements of the opposing powers were glimpsed. On the same day that the aerial bombardment began, the new defense minister of Honduras, José Zelaya, received in Tegucigalpa the commander general of the US Southern Command, Laura Richardson, who offered military assistance to the new government. Meanwhile, in Havana, the President of the Russian Parliament, Viacheslav Volodin, was meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel. Some anecdotal images, but which seem to make clear the trends and alliances that the governments of the region have in the face of international events.
discordant voices
The immediate diplomatic reaction was mostly a rejection of the use of force by the Russian government. However, in the case of Bolivian President Luís Arce, he made a pale appeal for peace without great qualifications about the conflict. Although the media president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, questioned the credibility of the United States before the Russian offensive, he has not yet spoken.
As expected, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela “closed ranks” openly supporting Russia’s military actions, following in their official communiqués the line of argument that Russia seeks to free Ukraine from fascism and defend pro-Russian minorities from an alleged ” genocide” underway by the Ukrainian government. In this way, these governments of inconceivable dictatorial drift are approaching positions with one of the few international allies they still maintain.
These versions are in line with the propagandist narrative sponsored by the Kremlin. In fact, some official social media accounts of these governments openly propagate versions of Russian media, such as RT or Sputnik, vetoed by the European Union and Facebook, as well as other media ideologically aligned with Russia, such as Telesur and Al.
This notorious disagreement reveals an open detachment from two of the main guides of international law: the principle of self-determination and the rejection of the use of force for conflict resolution. In this way, the distance between these tyrannies of the radical left and the new democratic left governments in the region is also evident.
These dissenting statements, however, are minority and contrast with the diplomatic messages of most governments in the region rejecting the unjustified use of force and seeking a peaceful resolution to a conflict that continues to leave victims in its wake.
