Central America: Russia on course for expansion

The decision of the PARLACEN to admit Russia as a "permanent observer" made headlines. After 76 MPs had called for Russia's admission a little earlier, 65 MPs voted in favour, 36 were against and three abstained in the decisive plenary session on 25 September. "Operation Russia" was mainly operated from Nicaragua. A son of the Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega, Guillermo Ortega, is leading the way. PARLACEN's decision was made on the basis of a report by the Russian Embassy in Managua. This was criticized as well as the decision-making process itself. On the one hand, deputies, including the former vice-president of Guatemala, Carlos Castillo, confessed that they were not informed about this bill. Others spoke of the fact that parliamentary groups did not know them. The left-wing Honduran MP Engels Martín Pineda García took advantage of this at least partial communication vacuum and launched the vote on the agenda of the plenary by way of an urgent motion (sic!). This, too, is an expression of an undisguised power strategy of this Russia-friendly coalition. Politics, as one actually learns in political childhood, is also, and sometimes primarily, made with the rules of procedure. The inexperience of many members of parliament makes such procedures possible. If politically desired, there remains a considerable need for clarification as to how this decision was made.

Russia's admission was justified by the "fruitful and friendly relations and interparliamentary cooperation since 2018". In fact, Russia has reportedly invested heavily in these relations for years. Invitations to travel to Russia not only for deputies, but also for the working level of the parliament have prepared the ground for the current decision. There are probably no limits to the imagination. The fact that Russia is committed to paying 350,000 US dollars per year and financing projects and measures naturally suits PARLACEN. The admission of Russia makes a mockery of the treaty-enshrined objective of PARLACEN and is pure political cynicism. PARLACEN is intended to contribute to peaceful coexistence in the region, "based on representative and participatory democracy, pluralism (...) and international law". It remains the secret of the approving members of parliament how Russia fits into this requirement profile, although parliamentarians of the previous legislative period should have asked themselves this question, also with a view to the admission of China as a permanent observer. It remains to be seen to what extent the parliamentarians who do not agree with this decision, in cooperation with the rejecting governments, will try to reverse the decision of PARLACEN.

The strategy of both China and Russia to further establish itself in this region is clearly recognizable. Russia's strategy has not yet been sufficiently acknowledged. In Europe and Germany there is a need for a political-strategic reassessment of undervalued sub-regional associations and smaller states. These also have a seat and a vote in international organisations. For democratic governments and parliaments alike, this development should be a wake-up call and a warning call: two dictatorial and global players are on an expansion course, in all corners of the world, at all levels. Democratic regimes must develop a coordinated counter-strategy.