On March 24 and 25, we held the seminar “The Influence of Russia, China, and Iran on the Democracies of Ibero-America” in Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. During the event, various experts examined how these powers are undermining security, democracy, and development in the region. The seminar was organized in collaboration with the Hernán Echavarría Olózaga Institute of Political Science (ICP) and the Trust and Freedom Foundation.

The seminar began with opening remarks by Eduardo Puig de la Bellacasa, Secretary General of the CEU-CEFAS Institute for American Studies, and Carlos Augusto Cachón, Executive Director of the Hernán Echavarría Olózaga Institute of Political Science (ICP). Both highlighted the importance of holding a seminar on this topic, given the significant rise in the political, economic, and social influence of these powers in a region that has traditionally been more closely aligned with European countries.

The first presentation was delivered by former Vice President of Colombia, Francisco Santos, who emphasized that the world today is vastly different from the post–Berlin Wall era and that we are facing a major global confrontation between democracies and authoritarian regimes. In this context, he noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping has changed the rules of the game by expanding China’s global influence. Santos also warned about China’s growing presence in Latin America, where it has become the main trading partner for most countries. He further pointed out that Russia, although not an economic superpower, acts as a major destabilizing force through election interference and social media manipulation, citing Ecuador as an example: “Russia had Rafael Correa on its payroll through Russia Today,” said the former vice president.

Another area of concern highlighted by Santos is Hezbollah’s involvement in drug trafficking and illegal mining in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, using these resources to finance armed groups in the Middle East. Finally, he emphasized that these factors create a geopolitical tension scenario in which democracies must confront the growing influence of authoritarian regimes.

Next, Eduardo Puig de la Bellacasa, Secretary General of the CEU-CEFAS Institute for American Studies, spoke about China’s increasing influence in Ibero-America, noting that in just a few decades, “it has gone from being a marginal actor to becoming the main trading partner for almost all countries in the region”, with the exception of Mexico, which maintains its ties with the United States. In this regard, he pointed out that the presence of Europe and the United States in the region has significantly diminished, leaving room for Chinese expansion not only economically but also socioculturally, in the media, strategically, and politically. This is largely due to the commercial networks established through historic Chinese migration to these areas: “in Peru, 8% of the population is of Chinese descent”, he stated.

For his part, Carlos Augusto Chacón, Executive Director of the ICP, shared with attendees the risks posed by growing Chinese investment in Latin America, since Chinese companies in the region are linked to a civil-military fusion that could represent a threat to both Europe and Latin America. Additionally, he highlighted China’s role in smuggling activities in countries such as Colombia. While recognizing the commercial benefits of cooperating with China, the director also questioned whether these benefits are truly mutual and warned that “the lack of a defense culture in the region and the weakness in adequately assessing Chinese investments pose a risk”. For this reason, he proposed restoring traditional alliances with Europe and strengthening strategic autonomy to ensure security and democracy in international relations.

At the seminar held in Madrid, Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna, Professor of Contemporary World History at CEU San Pablo University, also spoke. He emphasized that Iran has aligned itself with decolonization movements, supporting anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggles, and displaying a strong cultural and military influence in its foreign strategy. Furthermore, he stated that Iran aims to export its revolution and establish a “strategic patience” to project its power in the long term, with influence in regions such as the United States and Central America.

Meanwhile, Colonel José Pardo de Santayana, Associate Professor at CESEDEN and President of the Tomás Moro Foundation, analyzed Russia’s power, highlighting its global ambitions and its significant resources, both intellectual and geopolitical. According to him, Russia is a disruptive force in international politics, especially in Latin America, where it seeks to create discomfort for the United States.

At the seminar held in Barcelona, participants included Aquilino Cayuela, Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy and international politics analyst at the digital newspaper EL DEBATE, and Juan Corona, Deputy Rector and Director of the Antoni de Montserrat Chair of Global Studies at Universitat Abat Oliba CEU.

Cayuela explained that China, Russia, and Iran form an axis with enormous geopolitical influence: “Since the invasion of Ukraine, Iran has increased its influence due to the material it has supplied to Russia,” he stated. In this regard, he emphasized that “Iran’s nuclear program is causing tension” among countries that do not align with its ideology.

For his part, Deputy Rector Juan Corona highlighted the various facets of Russia’s role in different Latin American countries, such as the bilateral agreements signed with nations that have political hostility toward the United States, which allow Russians to travel to these countries without a visa. “This may seem of minor importance, but in the end, there is no control over who is traveling to these places and for what purpose”, he stated.

Finally, Corona emphasized that Russia’s economic role is significant not only because of its investments in gas and oil but also due to trade, particularly the sale of weapons. He concluded by warning about the fragility of the situation for these countries, “because these democracies are too weak to stand up to autocratic powers”, he asserted.