Russian minister’s visit bolsters Maduro

CARACAS, VENEZUELA—Russia’s foreign minister visited Venezuela on Friday in a show of support for President Nicolas Maduro as mounting pressure from the United States threatens to cut off the socialist leader from a key financial ally in Moscow.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s stop in Caracas follows a trip by Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Guaido to Washington, where officials in the Trump administration say they’re preparing to redouble efforts to force out Maduro.

Washington earlier this week said that the Trump administration will soon decide whether to impose penalties on Russia’s powerful state oil company Rosneft, an important financial lifeline to Maduro.

The U.S. backs Guaido, who has been embraced in Washington by Republicans and Democrats. Guaido is on an international tour that took him to Colombia, across Europe and to Canada, where he rallied support among world leaders.

Russia and Venezuela have a political, military and economic alliance that was cemented years ago between President Vladimir Putin and the late president Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s predecessor.

The Russians have provided the South American nation with substantial assistance, including an air defence system and help circumventing U.S. sanctions on their oil industry, but insist the extent of their support has been exaggerated by American officials.

Lavrov in a visit Thursday to Mexico City said that Moscow brings no kind of offer that would facilitate an exit by Maduro — something insisted on by Washington.

“We do not bring any proposal. We respect our partners,” he said in response to a question on the matter.