Fears that Russia could meddle in next year’s Mexican presidential election are growing. While there is no hard evidence to suggest that Moscow will be involved in the contest, its effort to disrupt last year’s U.S. election and reports that it is trying to affect elections in Europe have augmented concerns. “Russia meddles in elections, we know that,” said Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute. Sen. Armando Ríos Piter of the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) told The Hill on Monday that the prospect of Russian interference in Mexican elections “must not be minimized. If [Russia] intervened in the United States, there’s every reason to think that Mexico is a target for attack,” said Ríos Piter, who recently launched an independent presidential bid.
He said Mexico’s government needs to revamp its counterintelligence capabilities and consider alliances with other countries that could be facing similar challenges.
Russia has been seeking to increase its influence in Latin America, particularly as relations between the United States and Cuba improve.
Moscow continues to support Venezuela’s troubled socialist government, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasingly involved with Nicaragua.
Full Article: Fears grow that Russia could meddle in Mexican election | TheHill.
