A trove of leaked classified Pentagon documents highlight US anxieties over growing Chinese and Russian influence in Latin America and Africa. Among the details are references to Russian mercenary group Wagner exploring a contract to fight criminal gangs in Haiti, and a Chinese company negotiating to build a deep water port in Nicaragua.
One US military document describes a sweeping propaganda plan by Russian intelligence to shape public opinion in Africa, including peddling conspiracy theories about US biological labs with the goal of “realigning” African countries with Russia.
Another document mentions Russian support for a Brazilian effort to establish a group of “supposedly impartial” countries to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
The documents shed new light on a global struggle between the US and its adversaries to win over public opinion in the developing world – a contest that has accelerated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
The documents – many of which appear to be produced by the intelligence arm of the US Joint Staff, the Pentagon’s most senior uniformed leadership – were posted to social media platform Discord over a month ago and have prompted the Pentagon and Justice Department to open investigations. It’s unclear who was behind the leak.
Senior Biden administration officials have expressed concern about Russian and Chinese influence in Africa and elsewhere, which can take the form of arms sales, infrastructure projects or media campaigns.
In a March trip to Africa meant to boost US support for the continent in the face of Chinese and Russian influence, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Wagner Group of fueling violence and unrest in Africa.
“Where Wagner’s been present, bad things inevitably follow,” Blinken said on a visit to the West African country of…
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