On July 20, 2022, Kimberly Marten, professor of political science, testified before the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy. An expert on Russia in Latin America and Russian security issues, Marten appeared in a hearing on Russia in the Western Hemisphere: Assessing Putin's Malign Influence in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Marten’s testimony, titled “Russian Military and Economic Interests and Influence in Latin America and the Caribbean: Threats, Limits, and U.S. Policy Recommendations,” includes policy recommendations in light of Russia’s expanding global influence in the military and economic spheres. Beyond its recent invasion of Ukraine, Russia has engaged in direct military intervention in Syria, mobilized the Wagner Group paramilitary forces in Africa, and attempted to restore its authority over Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Efforts in the Western Hemisphere, however, have largely failed as a result of Chinese and American intervention. In her testimony, Marten argues that while it is crucial for the United States to monitor Russian activity near its borders, the government should avoid overreacting to Russian rhetoric and focus on mitigating the central Russian threat in Europe and Eurasia to weaken its hold over the LAC region.