Venezuela seeks support from allies amid rising US presence in Caribbean

The growing US military presence in the Caribbean marks one of the most serious tests for Maduro since he took office in 2013. (Photo/Reuters)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has turned to Russia, China and Iran to bolster his country’s defence capabilities as it faces an increased US military presence in the Caribbean, according to internal US documents reported by The Washington Post.

Maduro is seeking assistance for radar systems, aircraft repairs and possibly missile supplies.

The appeals to Moscow were conveyed in a letter addressed to President Vladimir Putin, to be delivered during a senior aide’s visit to Moscow earlier this month.

Maduro also prepared a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping seeking "expanded military cooperation" in response to "the escalation between the US and Venezuela," according to the documents published on Thursday by the newspaper.

He urged Beijing to speed up Chinese firms’ production of radar detection systems to strengthen Venezuela’s defences.

The US documents added that "in the missive, Maduro emphasised the seriousness of perceived US aggression in the Caribbean, framing US military action against Venezuela as action against China due to their shared ideology."

The documents said Transport Minister Ramon Celestino Velasquez arranged a recent shipment of military gear and drones from Iran and planned a visit, telling an Iranian official that Venezuela needs "passive detection equipment, GPS scramblers, and almost certainly drones with 1,000 km range."

Escalating US-Venezuela tensions

The growing US military presence in the Caribbean marks one of the most serious threats for Maduro since he took office in 2013.

Washington has carried out more than a dozen strikes on what it said are drug-trafficking vessels leaving Venezuelan waters, killing at least 61 people since September.

The US has not publicly provided evidence to support its drug-trafficking claims, while Maduro has rejected the allegations.

Trinidad and Tobago has put its military on alert amid escalating US-Venezuela tensions, increasing surveillance operations along its maritime border with Venezuela, according to regional reports.

In early October, during a call with Venezuela’s foreign minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "expressed serious concern about the increasing escalation of Washington’s activities in the Caribbean Sea."

And on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow "respects Venezuela’s sovereignty” and maintains the matter should be handled in line with “international law."

In mid-October, Velasquez, Venezuela’s transport minister, visited Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, according to the Russian Transport Ministry.

Documents obtained by the newspaper indicate he was also tasked with delivering Maduro’s letter to Putin.

In the message, Maduro asked Russia to help strengthen Venezuela’s air defences, including restoring several Russian-made Sukhoi Su-20MK2 aircraft.

He requested support to overhaul eight engines and five radars in Russia, obtain 14 sets of what were believed to be Russian missiles, and provide unspecified "logistical support," the documents show.

According to the US records, Maduro stressed that Russian-made Sukhoi jets "represented the most important deterrent" for Venezuela and sought a "medium-term financing plan of three years" through Rostec, with no amount specified.

This month, Maduro said Venezuela deployed 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S portable air-defence systems nationwide.

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Source: TRT