Sec. 1235. Report on efforts by the Russian Federation to expand its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean
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Not later than June 30, 2023, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence and in consultation with the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, as necessary, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that identifies efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to expand its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean through diplomatic, military, intelligence, and other means, and describes the implications of such efforts on the national defense and security interests of the United States. The report required by subsection
(a)shall include the following: An identification of— the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean with which the Government of the Russian Federation maintains especially close diplomatic, military, and intelligence relationships; the number and content of strategic partnership agreements or similar agreements, including any non-public, secret, or informal agreements, that the Government of the Russian Federation has established with countries and regional organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean; the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to which the Government of the Russian Federation provides foreign assistance or disaster relief (including access to COVID–19 vaccines), including a description of the amount and purpose of, and any conditions attached to, such assistance; recent visits by senior officials of the Government of the Russian Federation, including its state-owned or state-directed enterprises, to Latin America and the Caribbean, and visits by senior officials from Latin America and the Caribbean to the Russian Federation; and the existence of any defense exchanges, military or police education or training, and exercises between any military or police organization of the Government of the Russian Federation and military, police, or security-oriented organizations of countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, including port visits by the Russian Navy. A detailed description of— the impact Russia’s war in Ukraine has or may have on its diplomatic, military, and intelligence activities in Latin America and the Caribbean; the relationship between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Governments of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia; attempts by the Government of the Russian Federation to develop relations with the Governments of Brazil and Argentina, two countries whose leaders met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow shortly before the invasion of Ukraine; military installations, assets, and activities of the Government of the Russian Federation in Latin America and the Caribbean that currently exist or are planned for the future, including the size, location, and purpose of any deployed Russian Federation Armed Forces or security contractors associated with the Russian Federation; the purpose of and operations emanating from the Russian Federation’s operations center in Managua, Nicaragua; the Russian Federation’s subversion of United States sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector; the Russian Federation’s involvement in the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana; sales or transfers of defense articles and services by the Russian Federation to countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; any other form of military or security cooperation or assistance between the Government of the Russian Federation or its associated paramilitary organizations, and paramilitary organizations and countries in Latin America and the Caribbean; the nature, extent, and purpose of the Government of the Russian Federation’s intelligence activities in Latin America and the Caribbean; the role of the Government of the Russian Federation in transnational crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, including drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime; the methods by which the Government of the Russian Federation expands its influence through support to transnational criminal organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean; and efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to build its media presence through government-directed disinformation, misinformation, or information warfare campaigns in Latin America and the Caribbean, including attempts to influence electoral outcomes, realize military objectives, or destabilize governments. An assessment of— the specific objectives that the Government of the Russian Federation seeks to achieve by expanding its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, including any objectives articulated in official documents or statements; the degree to which the Government of the Russian Federation uses its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean to encourage, pressure, or coerce governments in the region to support its defense and national security goals, including policy positions taken by the Government of the Russian Federation at international institutions; how the Russian Federation uses multilateral organizations, in particular the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), a regional organization that excludes the United States, to expand its presence and influence in Latin America and the Caribbean; and the specific actions and activities undertaken by the Government of the Russian Federation in Latin America and the Caribbean that present the greatest threats or challenges to the United States’ defense and national security interests in the region. Any other matters the Secretary of State determines is appropriate. The report required by subsection
(a)shall be submitted in unclassified form without any designation relating to dissemination control, but may include a classified annex. The report and its classified annex shall be prepared consistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods. In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— the congressional defense committees; and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.