Abstract: The subject of this study is the policy of "soft power" of the BRICS in Latin America, including its tool such as analytical centers. The purpose of the study is to determine the specifics of the activities of BRICS analytical centers in the studied region and their political functions. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing importance of multilateral institutions in the modern world, which necessitates the study of their activities and mechanisms of influence, including the policy of "soft power". The prospects for the expansion of the BRICS due to the entry of new participants depend, among other things, on the image of this institution, which serves as an additional factor in the relevance of studying the policy of "soft power" of the BRICS and its results. Research method: document analysis. As a result of the study, it was found that an important impetus for the creation of the BRICS analytical center in Brazil is the diversity of the BRICS countries, which necessitates their mutual study. The activity of the BRICS analytical center is aimed at studying ways to solve global problems, studying the BRICS countries, the countries of the Global South and their interaction. In addition to research, the Center sees as a task the exchange of information between the research structures of the BRICS countries, the promotion of the BRICS agenda. The author comes to the conclusion that the policy of "soft power" of the BRICS in Latin America is at the stage of formation. One of its elements is the activity of the BRICS Research and Development Center, which performs research, organizational and informational functions.

Abstract: This article explores the specificity of using national symbols in the political protests. The construction of the new meanings of national symbols by protest movements is viewed in the frame of collective memory. The goal of this research is to determine the peculiarities of involving unofficial national symbols in the protest discourse by the opposition political forces on the example of modern Mexico. It is demonstrated how the radical protest Neozapatismo movement uses the image of the country's national hero Emiliano Zapata for legitimizing the own agrarian program and rule in the state of Chiapas, as well as a resource for mobilizing the supporters of drastic agrarian reforms. The conclusion is made that due to such characteristics of national symbols as sacred nature, wide occurrence, recognition, they possess high mobilization potential, carrying out mobilization function in the political protests. It pertains to both, state symbols (flag, coat of arms, anthem) and unofficial symbols. National symbols can also be used by protest movements as a means of legitimation / deligitimation of authority. The author underlines that the use by political actors of national symbols, which may cause strong emotional response of the audience, should be considered as manipulative political technology.

Abstract: The subject of the research is the ideological aspects of interstate conflicts in the Pan-American regional subsystem of international relations. The author analyzes the dynamics of conflicts between the USA and Cuba, USA and Venezuela, and Venezuela and Columbia in 1991 - 2015. In the 1990s Latin American states had ideologically homogenous political regimes united by the aim to transfer to representative democracy and market economy. However, the situation changed in 1998 when Venezuela was governed by the left-wing natinalist forces that held uncompromising attitude towards the USA policy in the region. In the XXIst century Venezuela's active foreign policy often became the cause of interstate conflicts in the New World. To analyze the dynamics of international political conflicts, the author of the article refers to the restrospective analysis of the newest political history of the Latin American and USA countries. The author concludes that at the end of the XXth - beginning of the XXIst century the New World still face conflicts that were mostly caused by different ideologies. These conflicts happen between states oriented at different models of socio-political development (socialistic or liberal conservative), thus political ideas and values make a matter of conflicts. 

Abstract: The subject of this research is the evolution of the Republic of Venezuela political regime over the period of 1998-2015. The author examines the main stages of evolution of the political regime, analyzes the constitutional changes in the country, as well as presents a comparative analysis of the political regimes of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. As the criteria for comparison, the author uses such characteristic of the regime as the relationship between the government and opposition, as well as mechanisms of legitimization of the regime. Special attention is given to the problem of classification of the regime and nuances of the electoral authoritarianism in Venezuela. The author makes a conclusion on domination of the authoritarian trends in evolution of the political regime of Venezuela. During the presidency of N. Maduro, we can observe the shift in the balance of powers with regards to the government and opposition, which results in the growing conflicts in society, re-orientation of the authorities towards the use of force for ensuring stability. The scientific novelty consists in the comprehensive analysis of the stages and factors of evolution of the political regime of Venezuela, as well as determination of specificity N[WU1] . Maduro’s political regime in the country.



 [WU1]

Abstract: The subject of this research is the challenges in the sphere of national and regional security that are faced by the Latin American countries in the globalizing world. Among such challenges are the transnational crime, drug trade, and terrorism. The first part of the article analyzes the evolutional process of the doctrines of regional security in Latin America; the second part is dedicated to the issues of counteraction against the transnational security threats, as well as to the international cooperation in the area of security within the Western hemisphere. Special attention is given to the analysis of the causes and consequences of activation of the drug trade in Latin America. Scientific novelty consists in the complex examination of the destabilization factors of the Latin America systems of national security. The author concludes that currently a real threat to the countries of Latin America is the crisis of public safety associated with criminalization and narcotization of the society, and partial occupancy by the criminal communities of the government functions. The author underlines that today the countries of Latin America did not develop a unified effective strategy on counteracting this phenomena.

Abstract: The subject of the research in the present article are the specific characteristics of the functioning of Russian and Bolivian trade unions, the factor of evolution of their strategies and tactics, the reasons of the development of oppositional trade union movement in these countries. Independent trade union movement in modern Russia is in its infancy, and faces some problems, which justifies the importance of studying the experience of trade union movement in other countries. The main problems, the solution of which now defines the efficiency of a trade union as a social institution, are as follows: the formation of a "flexible" labour market, enlargement of transnational corporation that require the elaboration of new strategies of the social protection of the workers. The work is based on systems and social-cultural approaches, the author has used the method of comparative (cross-national) analysis, as well as the traditional analysis of documents. The criteria of comparison considered in the present work are the strategy and tactics of the trade unions, the structure of the trade union movement, the trade unions' attitude to the economic reforms in the country and key social issues of the studies period. The article considers the trends of the evolution of the trade union movement in the two countries. The author draws a conclusion regarding the common specific features in the development of the trade union movement in Russia and Bolivia at a certain stage (1990s), caused by the social-economic likelihood of the two countries. Among such specific features there are orientation on short-term radical goals and criticism of neoliberal policy. In the following period (2000s) the political mobilisation of the Russian trade unions decreases, the level of the popular trust reduces, while the Bolivian trade unions are still one of the most active actors of the political process in the country.