The article examines the peculiarities of the representation of Latin American images in Soviet and American cinema during the Cold War. The author concludes that there are certain similarities in the representation of Latin America in the films of the USA and the USSR: both of them mainly create the image of Latin American countries as being at a lower stage of social development. The inclusion of images of third countries, including Latin American countries, in the film narrative was intended to perform the following functions: to demonstrate the atrocities of the enemy (against the population of third countries) or the courage of "their", designed to protect allies from third countries in need. The fulfillment of these functions is conditioned by the specifics of the interpretation of Latin American countries in Soviet and American cinema as "third world countries": uncivilized, wild, and full of dangers. In turn, the activities of an opponent country in the international arena in the Latin American region are often viewed as harmful, hindering its political development. The difference between the images of Latin America in American cinema is their greater diversity, which became possible due to less strict regulation of film production, as well as due to the historical and geographical proximity of Latin America to the United States, which led to the persistent interest of cinematographers in Latin American issues. The specificity of Soviet cinema is, firstly, the desire to create a collective image of Latin America without differentiation by country. Secondly, the glorification of Latin American revolutionaries.