Zelensky Fails to Find Support in Latin America Because He is Seen as 'US Puppet', Analysts Say
© AP Photo / Ukrainian Presidential Press Office
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Following the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky went on a global tour delivering speeches in parliaments and to governments and various other organizations around the world asking for help in fighting Moscow, instead of engaging in direct talks to end the conflict.
As part of his global tour to rally support for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to gain backing from Latin America by delivering a speech to Chilean university students and attempting to make a keynote address to Mercosur.
Neither of these endeavors succeeded, however, and the majority of Latin American countries and its citizens have either remained neutral or backed Russia in the conflict, as opposed to western states with which Zelensky enjoys broader support, for now. Zelensky’s lack of support in Latin America is partially explained by his strong affiliation with the US, several analysts told Sputnik.
'US Puppet'
The US State Department launched a "highly digitized" operation to boost Zelensky's image at the international level, but because of this, Latin America views him as a "US puppet," Jorge Elbaum, Argentinian sociologist and journalist explained. Such characteristics prevent most Latin American citizens and governments from sympathizing with him, he added.
"In Latin America there is great distrust of the United States and everyone sees Washington's participation in these operations as the thread, which does not work well for Zelensky's attempts to engage with countries south of the Rio Grande,” Elbaum explained.
While right-wing governments in the region, such as in Ecuador, Uruguay or Paraguay might be supporting the US and Zelensky, they alone will not be able to tip the scales of "mistrust" among the Latin Americans, who see the conflict in Ukraine as being instigated by NATO, Elbaum continued.
19 August 2022, 10:12 GMT
The mounting evidence of the Ukrainian president's association with the neo-Nazi groups that have been acting with impunity and have been even rewarded by Kiev since 2014 also does not play into the hands of Zelensky, the analyst believes. He pointed out that such connections to neo-Nazis might even turn away right-wing governments in Latin America.
Russia and China's Counter-Influence in the Media
The US achieved considerable success in promoting Zelensky's image as a defendant of his nation against "Russian aggression" in the first months after the start of the special military operation, but following that, his image started to deteriorate, Venezuela analyst Sergio Rodríguez stated.
"Let's recall that first United Nations vote. Already in the second vote, a month later, the number of supporters was lower and then there were no new votes in the United Nations because the truth began to emerge,” Rodríguez explained.
The analyst believes that Zelensky resorted to seeking help from Latin America after failing to garner it in Asia and Africa due to the strong influence of Russia and China. He hoped to get the backing from "oligarchic sectors related to the US", but the vast majority of states opted to remain neutral.
Zelensky's failure to gather allies in Latin America may also be explained by the growing presence of Russian media in the region, which provides an alternative viewpoint for the population, journalist and sociologist Elbaum added.
"Many people want to know a version that is not the one transmitted by the hegemonic media co-opted, bought or allied to the US logic," he said.
The US-owned media built Zelensky's image as one of a "president who loves his country and defends it in military uniform," he explained. However, as time goes by and Ukraine fails to achieve any success in the conflict, the media increasingly struggles to keep that image up, the journalist claimed.
"Zelensky's image is sinking amid the heap of military lies that they built, claiming that Russia was going to be defeated and that the weapons provided by the West were going to paralyze the [Russian troops]," Elbaum summed up.
