Question

Russia's foreign minister says that most Latin American countries want to expand relations with Russia.

Answer 1

Russia's foreign minister said that he wanted to expand relations with Latin American countries, and that they had a good relationship with said countries. However, he never that "most Latin American countries want to expand relations with Russia." As he went on about the global connections he was hoping to create, he spoke about many different regions similarly as the way he spoke about Latin America. He explained the seemingly positive relationship they have now, "We have generally positive relations with most Latin American states." He added that he wanted to work with governments of both right-leaning and left-leaning legislature. While I'm sure some Latin Countries do want to build connections with Russia, I believe that this statement was exaggerated. Since there is some truth behind it, it would be wrong to call the statement false. However, it is a misleading form of the truth. 

https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1926392/ 

Answer 2

This claim may be misleading. While Russia has expressed it’s want to strengthen its relationships with Latin American countries, the prime minister never stated that "Latin American countries want to expand relations with Russia." Since the war in Ukraine, Russia has aimed to strengthen its diplomatic and economic relations with countries in Latin America and Africa. This strategy is an effort to maintain neutrality in these regions and counter U.S. initiatives in support of Ukraine (U.S. Security Cooperation with Ukraine). "In April 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Brazil with the stated objective of strengthening relations."

https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1926392/

https://www.icwa.in/show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=10113&lid=6452

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/762473/EPRS_BRI(2024)762473_EN.pdf

Answer 3

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has talked candidly about the necessity of opening up relations with Latin American countries and stated categorically that Russia has "generally positive relations with most Latin American states" and is eager to cooperate with governments of any political color. However, the argument that "most Latin American countries wish to expand relations with Russia" appears to be stretching the truth a bit. While some nations like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua have been long-time allies of Russia, the rest of the nations in the region have been cautious and even more cautious in recent history due to geopolitical reasons. For instance, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the majority of the countries in Latin America criticized the action, adopting a more middle-of-the-road approach to Russia.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/762473/EPRS_BRI(2024)762473_EN.pdf

https://newlinesinstitute.org/strategic-competition/how-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-affects-latin-america/