As the first anniversary of Ukraine war approaches, Biden’s intrusive policies have become more widespread. He has been forcing countries from Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia to send weapons to Ukraine war.
This time, Biden looks to fuel the Ukraine war with South American ammunition. But his dreams have hit the South American wall. Three major South American countries have shut him down with a bold response.
Foiled Plans
On January 19, the head of the Southern Command (Southcom), a branch of the US military that oversees operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, admitted that the US had been pressuring the region’s nations to arm Ukraine. According to Army General Laura J. Richardson of Southcom, Latin American countries should “replace [their] Russian equipment with United States equipment – if those countries want to donate it to Ukraine.”
US expected the regions’ countries to bow like many other countries across the world. But that didn’t happen. The demands for the delivery of weaponry to Ukraine have been rejected by Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.
On his 3 day visit to South America, Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor has tried to garner support for Ukraine. Berlin requested that Brazil send tank munitions to Kiev. Latin American countries have Russian weapons which Ukraine has used since long. However, it has been finding it difficult to use the US-supplied weapons as they require different kind of expertise.
Read More: Age old bullying in Mercosur is pushing the continent towards stagnation
A única posição que interessa ao Brasil na questão da Ucrânia e Rússia é a paz. Tempo de guerra é tempo de destruição. O mundo precisa de paz, cuidar da questão do clima e acabar com a fome.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) October 1, 2022
Lula da Silva, the Brazilian President, however, declined. This isn’t the first time Lula has expressed his rejection for fuelling the Ukraine war. In his election campaign, he sneered at Biden, “How can the world’s largest economic power say that it has no milk for children after President Biden announced $40 billion to buy arms meant for the war in Ukraine?” In October he had said, “The only position that interests Brazil in terms of the question of Ukraine and Russia is peace.”
It is comical how the US forgot that Lula was the co-founder of the BRICS bloc. He clearly stands for non-alignment and multipolar world.
United bloc
Colombia too has rejected Biden’s nefarious plans. Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, said that the US also put pressure on his nation to supply Ukraine with weapons. But he declined, promoting peace instead.
Petro stated, “We are not with anyone; we are with peace. That is why no weapon will be used in that conflict.” On the call to send the Russian weapons to Ukraine, Petro said, the weapons “will stay as junk in Colombia.”
Lo mejor que le puede pasar a la humanidad es la paz entre Ucrania y Rusia y no la prolongación de la guerra. Yo no ayudaré a prolongar ninguna guerra.
En cambio pido que se eleve a delito internacional la agresión de un país a otro, sea el que sea.
Ni invasiones ni bloqueos. https://t.co/19Pr2GdEeP
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 27, 2023
Olaf Scholz too, tried to persuade Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez. But Fernandez firmly stated in press conference, “Argentina and other Latin American countries do not plan to provide weapons to Ukraine, or to any other conflict zone.”
Read More: It’s time for Argentina and Chile to claim Antarctica as their backyard
It’s not a coincidence that Argentina too, wants to join the BRICS+ bloc. It even attended BRICS summit last year. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua have already attributed the conflict in Ukraine to NATO expansion and US intervention. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) had proposed holding negotiations to put an end to the crisis. Further, Bolivia, Honduras has joined Brazil, Argentina and Colombia in rejecting to take part in the proxy conflict.
It’s important to mention that Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Bolivia and Honduras are left-wing governments. Clearly, Latin American left is different.