Russia making trouble in … Argentina?

We’re always shocked, shocked I tell you, shocked!! to hear that Russia tries to influence politics in other countries!

So, here’s another case: (1)

This is a report about how the US State Department is accusing Russia of trying to destabilize the crackpot rightwing-populist government of Argentine President Javier Milei.

The State Department is saying:

The Russian Government is also engaged in operations meant to destabilize the government of Argentina and escalate tensions between Argentina and its neighbors. We expect that the Russian government will leverage RT, its affiliates, and its overall covert playbook in pursuit of these malign efforts. (2)

Página/12 reports:

This action also takes place in [the context of] a clear alignment of Milei not only with the White House but also with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymir Zelensky, who was in Argentina for the inauguration of the Argentine head of state.

Milei himself has expressed his support for Ukraine in the war [against Russia] and, upon assuming the presidency, chose not to join the BRICS bloc, which is led by Russia along with Brazil, China, India and South Africa. [my translation]

Now, it may be the case that the US is concerned about Russia promoting critical stories against Milei via RT or other methods. And Russia would no doubt prefer that Argentina be more friendly to the BRICS alliance rather than less friendly.

On the other hand, the US has a very long history of preferring right-leaning governments in Argentina - and ones like Milei’s that are more than right “leaning” – in Argentina. And, of course, Milei’s anarcho-capitalist perspective is something that billionaires admire, as long at it's their own power and influence that get to be anarchic.

So, the Russians may not be happy about Milei’s government. But Milei’s government is far too busy wrecking Argentina’s economic and state institutions to mount some major military operation in support of Ukraine in their current war. So engineering regime change in Argentina presumably ranks very low on Russia’s lit of international priorities.

I’m assuming that the Biden Administration has noticed that Milei’s has been very supportive of Benjamin Netanyahu’s war on Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West bank, for which Biden continues to provide unconditional support, despite the occasionally sternly-worded press releases criticizing some action of Israel’s.

And they have surely noticed that Argentina’s neighbor Chile takes a different position:

Chile has joined a group of nations supporting a genocide case against Israel filed last year at the International Court of Justice.

President Gabriel Boric said in a speech to lawmakers Saturday that he was appalled by the humanitarian devastation in Gaza, especially against women and children. He accused the Israeli army of using “indiscriminate and disproportional” force.

“These acts demand a firm and permanent response of the international community,” the president said. (3)

The US is famously leery of left-leaning governments in Chile, Argentina, or anywhere else in Latin America. So there is a very good chance that whatever reason the US might find to actively intervene in Argentine politics, protecting Argentina’s right to self-determination against the hypothetical danger of a Russian regime-change operation in Buenos Aires will not be one of them.

Notes:

(1) Página/12 14.09.2024. <https://www.pagina12.com.ar/767414-estados-unidos-acusa-a-rusia-de-querer-desestabilizar-al-gob> (Accessed: 2024-14-09).

(2) Alerting the World to RT’s Global Covert Activities. U.S. Department of State website 09/13/2024. <https://www.state.gov/alerting-the-world-to-rts-global-covert-activities> (Accessed: 2024-14-09).

(3) Chile joins developing nations rallying behind genocide case against Israel at international court. AP News 06/01/2024. <https://apnews.com/article/chile-israel-hamas-gaza-international-court-a8ed91da3ec408b414fb51deef329085> (Accessed: 2024-14-09).