A Conversation with Francisco Santos on Extra-regional Actors in Latin America
On January 25, 2024, the Georgetown Americas Institute (GAI) hosted a meeting for Georgetown University students and faculty with Francisco Santos, former vice president of Colombia and former ambassador of Colombia to the United States.
The conversation centered on the role played by extra-regional powers in Latin America, their strategies and goals, and a call for improved understanding of these actors and their presence in the region.
Francisco Santos served as vice president of Colombia between 2002 and 2010 under President Alvaro Uribe and was appointed ambassador in Washington, DC, from 2018 to 2020 by President Ivan Duque.
During the conversation led by GAI Managing Director Denisse Yanovich, Santos shared his thoughts on the role played by Iran, Russia, and China in Latin America. He called for heightened awareness and dedicated research on the growing role these actors play in the region.
Russia
Santos described Russia as a disruptive agent in the region. He recalled the alleged role that Russian intelligence played in the Chilean protests of 2019 and Colombia’s “Estallido Social” from 2020 to 2021, arguing that the high degree of organization and coordination seen in the protests can be attributed to Russian interference. He also discussed how Russia allegedly used social media to play a relevant role during these periods of civil unrest.
“In Latin America, Russia is in a game of creating trouble for the United States.” - Francisco Santos
Additionally, Santos discussed Russian military relationships with Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, contending that they receive technical assistance and training from Russian security forces. In his view, these alignments are concerning given the growing diplomatic ties between Russia and Colombia under the Gustavo Petro administration.
Iran
Out of the three actors discussed, Iran has the lowest profile in Latin America. Santos mentioned there is not enough awareness of Iran’s strategic activities in the region, which can be traced back to the 1994 Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) bombing carried out by Hezbollah in Buenos Aires.
Santos believes that Hezbollah is an actor in several sectors of Latin America’s illegal economy, including the drug trade, illegal mining, and money laundering. They have done so, he asserted, in order to secure funding for their activities in the Middle East.
Santos also suggested that Iran has become an “exporter” of technical knowledge on asymmetric warfare. He raised concerns on Iranian (and Russian) collaboration with the Venezuelan military, highlighting the strategic risk it represents for Colombia in particular.
China
Santos concluded the conversation by discussing how China has grown more assertive in its engagement in Latin America, using commercial ties and the massive scale of Chinese demand for Latin American goods to obtain concessions from governments in the region.
“When the United States fails to step up, the Chinese do.” - Francisco Santos
Citing examples from across the region, the former ambassador explained that countries in Latin America have been put in a tricky position where their sovereignty is being challenged by Chinese investment. The presence of Chinese fishing vessels in Ecuadorian protected marine areas, the ousting of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s health minister during COVID-19 vaccine negotiations with China, and the overrepresentation of Chinese firms in Bogota’s metro bid were some examples cited by Santos.
This event was moderated by GAI Managing Director Denisse Yanovich.