DOI: 10.25136/2409-8671.2024.2.70476

Abstract: This article is devoted to the peculiarities of perception and representation of a multipolar world in Bolivia. Since the governments of the "Movimiento al Socialismo" party came to power, this country, on the one hand, can be called one of the leading critics of the world liberal order in the region, opponents of US dominance, and on the other hand, it is characterized by a nationalist course in the economy, proactive integration strategy and presence in reputable multilateral institutions for the Global South. These circumstances make the Bolivian case of attitude towards the issue of multipolarity very illustrative. Critical discourse analysis according to Teun Van Dijk was chosen as a research strategy. We consider selected materials of various genres and formats, referring to the semantic code “multipolar world” both explicitly and implicitly, through associations and metaphors. It is shown that, in general, for Bolivia the issue of forming a multipolar world is highly relevant and is associated with a number of fundamental aspects of the domestic and foreign policy model built by the ruling party “Movement to Socialism”. The positive expectations of Bolivian political leaders and international relations from the emerging multipolarity are associated not only and not so much with the decline of US dominance, but with the preservation of multilateralism and the opportunity for the country to diversify external relations, and integration is recognized as the key way to involve Bolivia in global dynamics. The scientific novelty of the work is ensured by the lack of study of the problem risen in both the Russian and foreign research fields; the author’s contribution is created by the results of a detailed analysis of the discourse concerning the multipolar world in Bolivia according to its main proponents, contexts and topics (“topics”).

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8671.2023.1.39954

Abstract: The object of this study is contemporary Russian-Latin American relations. The influence of the current international context related to the crisis around Ukraine on Russia's strategic partnerships (SP) with a number of Latin American states is considered in detail. The first part reveals the specifics of this relationship format. The second part analyzes the dynamics of the dialogue with Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Peru and Ecuador, depending on the depth of the impact on them of the confrontation between Russia and the West after the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. In conclusion, the work highlights similarities and differences in the lines of conduct of Russia's Latin American strategic partners in today's conflicting international political conditions. This study is one of the first attempts to comprehend the effects of the Ukrainian crisis on the state and possible future of strategic partnerships between Russia and nations of the LAC region. A new look at the issue, involving systematic approach and case study method, which allows analyzing and including each national example of bilateral strategic partnership in the broader context of the dialogue between the Russian Federation and Latin America, determines the author's contribution. Main conclusions are as follows. First, although the reaction of Russia's strategic partners to the Ukrainian crisis and its global consequences varies, their common desire to maintain the momentum of mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia is noticeable. Secondly, within strategic partnerships, one can single out a material and symbolic components, and it is on the second that the complication of the international context has hit the hardest. Finally, the current situation clearly requires Russia to revise its Latin American strategy, the first step of which could just be a rethinking of the SP format.