Leaked Documents Expose Russia’s Propaganda Network Across Latin America

The documents describe something more ambitious than traditional lobbying. They reveal a network that combines political influence, disinformation, and close ties to security services — deployed across more than 30 countries on three continents and bankrolled with at least $7.3 million over ten months.

Russia’s propaganda operations in Latin America are no longer the stuff of speculation. An unprecedented data leak — 76 internal documents totaling 1,431 pages — has exposed the inner workings of a Kremlin-backed influence network that planted operatives in Bolivia, purchased hundreds of fake articles in Argentine media, and trained over a thousand digital content creators across the region. The revelations, published by the investigative consortium Forbidden Stories and its partners, landed in the political arena on April 6 when a Bolivian opposition lawmaker cited the leaks to demand answers from his government.

What “The Company” Is

The network, internally referred to as “The Company,” traces its origins to associates of the late Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. After Prigozhin’s death in August 2023, control passed to Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The operation is headquartered at 8A Pirogova Lane in Saint Petersburg, a few hundred meters from St. Isaac’s Cathedral, where at least 52 project managers, political consultants, analysts, and media managers were working as of December 2025. In the field, more than 60 agents — whom the documents call “politologists” — have been deployed to more than 30 countries across Africa and Latin America.

The leaked documents were originally received by The Continent, a pan-African media outlet, and shared with Forbidden Stories, which led a consortium including openDemocracy, France 24, iStories, and Filtraleaks. European security sources and Russia specialists authenticated the materials.

Bolivia: Seven Agents, One Failed Mission

The most detailed Latin American operation documented in the leak is Bolivia. In July 2024, seven Russian operatives arrived in La Paz with a mandate to stabilize then-President Luis Arce’s government following a failed coup attempt. The documents reveal plans to draft presidential speeches, shape the 2025 election campaign, and gain access to observe the country’s judicial elections. The mission was led by 33-year-old Aleksey Shilov, with team members Dmitry Volkov (head of Bolivia operations), Sergei Klyukin (curator), and Sergei Mashkevich (coordinator) — all of whom requested Russian state decorations for their “contribution to the stabilisation” of the Arce government.

An October 2024 document proposed creating an “information office” in Bolivia staffed by a manager, a translator, and 20 foreign personnel. The operation also produced disinformation campaigns claiming a US-backed plot to seize Bolivia’s lithium after the government signed bilateral deals with China. The mission ultimately failed — Arce was imprisoned on corruption charges in December 2025, and the Russian agents were redeployed elsewhere.

Argentina: $280,000 in Ghost Journalism

In Argentina, the network’s approach was different — media infiltration rather than political embedding. According to the leaked documents, “The Company” spent approximately $280,000 commissioning roughly 250 articles in more than 20 Argentine media outlets during 2024. The consortium identified at least four fake bylines used to author these pieces. When contacted, all 15 outlets interviewed by the consortium denied receiving payments from Russian agents.

One disinformation campaign fabricated a military conflict between Argentina and Chile — a narrative the consortium found to be entirely baseless. Russian operatives also displayed anti-Ukraine banners during football matches in Argentina. The operation entered Argentina in February 2024, seeking to exploit political instability and President Milei’s public support for Ukraine to advance Moscow’s interests and tarnish his reputation.

1,000+ Influencers Across Eight Countries

A separate report, published by the Digital News Association on April 1, found that more than 1,000 Latin American content creators — including influencers, journalists, and digital communicators — participated in training programs linked to the Russian state across eight countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Part of the training was reportedly linked to RT en Español. The goal, according to the investigation, was to build a decentralized distribution network capable of adapting pro-Kremlin messages to different national contexts — with an estimated 200 of the participants being Spanish-speaking.

Bolivia’s Political Fallout

The revelations reached Bolivia’s congress on April 6 when opposition lawmaker Edgar Zegarra of the Libre alliance demanded a formal interpellation of Foreign Minister Fernando Aramayo. Zegarra accused the embassies of Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran of having “made deals of the century with our natural resources” and of interfering in Bolivia’s intelligence operations. He cited the Forbidden Stories investigation as corroboration of what the opposition has long alleged: systematic foreign manipulation under the previous MAS governments.

The Russian Embassy in Colombia responded to the broader investigation by denying that Russia trains influencers for disinformation purposes in Latin America. Neither the SVR nor any of the individuals named in the leaked documents responded to Forbidden Stories’ questions. Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg, the Company’s headquarters continues to hire — a sign, as the consortium noted, of the flexibility of a propaganda machine that, despite setbacks in Bolivia and elsewhere, continues to expand.