Russia: More support, aid for ‘friend’ Maduro
RUSSIA on Friday vowed to maintain support for the embattled regime of its Venezuelan “friend” President Nicolas Maduro, including with humanitarian aid supplies.
During talks with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin expressed “support and solidarity for his colleague and friend” Maduro in the country’s political standoff with the opposition.
“Russia will continue to assist the Venezuelan authorities in resolving social and economic problems, including through the provision of legitimate humanitarian aid,” Lavrov told a joint news conference with Rodriguez afterwards.
Battered by an economic meltdown, Venezuela descended into political crisis when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January and asserted that Maduro was no longer legitimate.
Maduro and his allies -- including Russia -- have accused Washington of attempting to carry out a coup against his government.
The United States has recognised Guaido and led a diplomatic campaign in support of his leadership.
Lavrov said Russia had recently sent to Venezuela 7.5 tonnes of medical supplies and received a request for more shipments.
“We are currently considering it,” he said.
He added that Russia was also sending “mass supplies” of wheat to Venezuela, claiming those shipments helped normalise the humanitarian situation in the country, which is crisisridden despite its oil wealth.
Russia’s agriculture ministry told local media on Friday that Moscow sent 36,000 tonnes of wheat to Venezuela in January.
Lavrov renewed warnings to the United States not to intervene militarily in Venezuela and reiterated Russia’s claim that Washington is planning to buy small arms, mortar launchers, and shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles known as MANPADS from an “Eastern European country” and station them “close to Venezuela.”
The weapons will be flown out by an airline of an ex-Soviet country loyal to Washington, Lavrov claimed without providing further details.