Remarks by Compañero Laureano Ortega Murillo in the Panel
“The BRICS Media in the Struggle for freedom of Expression and an Alternative Cultural and Informative Agenda”
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
June 19, 2025
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
I point out to you that it's important to consider... I come from Latin America, in Latin America those of us who grew up in those countries, if they had parents like me, or perhaps grandparents for you, telling us stories of some of the things that happened in Latin America. The CIA in Latin America, the U.S. Marines in Latin America, they went into those countries and decided that under the Platt Amendment for example, or the Monroe Doctrine, that basically they would govern Latin America and they were telling us what to do.
Today Latin America is in transition, I guess it's waking up little by little, it's a little different.
It's interesting, for example, that your country is trying to fight against that history, for example, the difficulties that took place all over Central America during the Reagan Administration and at other times.
How is Latin America assimilating the BRICS message so to make sure they hear it so that they can compare it favorably with the horrible experience left to them by the United States of America, and others, through colonialism?
Remarks by Laureano Ortega
I would like also to make some reference to other points you mentioned earlier. You were asking what we think about the fact that, in the United States, in Europe, most people don't even know what the BRICS are? I think your question may be too sophisticated, because most of the population of the United States don’t even know where Canada is.
Even so, I think it must be recognized that the BRICS have been an important success, because if not, we would not see the permanent attacks, by the US government, by the European governments, against this bloc which has been gaining more and more strength.
I would also like to emphasize that we have suffered from US intervention practically since Nicaragua became a Republic. We had a self-proclaimed president, a US invader, William Walker, in the 1850s, when Nicaragua had not long been independeny.
Subsequently, we have had permanent intervention by the United States in our Country and the defense of our Sovereignty with the Struggle of Sandino, then with the Struggle for the Revolution; and then, of course, the war of the 80s that was imposed by the United States, by Reagan.
And now, since 2007, when our Copresident, Comandante Daniel Ortega returned to government, we have had the permanent attack by the United States, of Europe, against our Political Project, which culminated in the attempted coup d'état in 2018.
I want to reiterate something that is important, because the Media were the special target of attacks during that coup attempt; media outlets were burned, they tried to assassinate Nicaraguan journalists, and all this with the complicity, financial support both from the United States, from Europe, and the complicity of the Media dominated by those interests that operated then in Nicaragua.
Something else extremely important that I also want to bring to this discussion is that we are talking about these Media that are considered “Mainstream”, as they say, or as they now call them too in the United States, the “Legacy Media”.
And those Media have been installed in our countries, throughout Latin America, let's not forget that historically they have been financed by USAID, by the CIA, and that has been exposed by us and brought to light from the beginning, but also now by the US government itself with all this effort that Elon Musk brought about, and everything that came out as a result.
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
But let me ask you a question: Why do you think now that your People or the People, of any country in Latin America are going to accept China, Russia or any other country that arrives there, without thinking: They are going to do the same things to us that the Gringos did to us?
Remarks by Laureano Ortega Murillo
Precisely because we are experiencing it, we have extremely active cooperation with Russia, especially on the issue of...
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
Sorry, my question was, what will you tell your people in Latin America?, who may say: Yes, I remember the last time an Empire entered here, the Spaniards and the Americans, and they basically harassed us and took advantage of us; they abused us, stole our treasures and killed many of us, like in Guatemala during the Civil War, where about 200,00 people died.
So, how do people in Latin America now look at Russia and China, and any of these other countries that come and tell us “we want to help you and we're not going to do the same thing,” and that it's won’t be the same as the Gringos did?
Remarks by Laureano Ortega Murillo
I would say, putting it into practice, not just words, we are working with Russia, we are working with China, and Cooperation is based on mutual respect, and Cooperation is for Development Projects, Cooperation is for Health Projects, Cooperation is for Infrastructure.
We are working with China, and we are also working with the Chinese Media Group, with CGTN, with Russia Today, with Sputnik, to strengthen the capacities of Nicaraguans, Media Institutions...
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
And do people believe that? Do people in Nicaragua have confidence in China and Russia, do you think? Can you tell us what your people think?
Remarks by Laureano Ortega
Yes. Opinion polls show that over 80% of the Nicaraguan population, support the work with China and Russia, which is interesting, and yes it's quite positive because the work is there for all to see.
With Russia we have built the first Institute to produce ‘flu vaccines. That is something that no other country in Central America has. All the ‘flu vaccines that we have in Nicaragua are produced by the Mechnikov Institute of Latin America which is a Nicaraguan company.
With China we are building Infrastructure Projects, we are building roads. We are building Energy infrastructure, so basically these is a Development Projects.
And neither Russia or China have sought to impose on us and that's why it's so different from the experience we had with the United States and with Europe historically.
I want to say one more thing. Of course you mentioned YouTube, and podcasts, as this new wave of alternative and what some might call Independent Media, but everyone has their agenda; I mean as you mentioned, Joe Rogan supported Trump; so everyone has an agenda that we can't trust.
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
But would you want me to have endorsed Biden?
Remarks by Laureano Ortega Murillo
If you are independent, you shouldn’t have supported anyone.
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
I see your point, yes. That's a good point.
Remarks by Laureano Ortega Murillo
We should not believe these media are independent, everyone has an agenda. So that's why we must remain strong and maintain close cooperation with our good friends from China and Russia; we also have cooperation with Iran's Hispantv.
So we have to maintain this close connection, close communication, because we have to be very clear, clear-minded and confident, the Media have to be as objective as possible, but they should promote what is right, what is just, and we believe that we are on that path.
Journalist Rick Sanchez, RT
Your point is well understood and you talk well about it.