PUTIN IS MADURO’S NEW BFF
MOSCOW— Embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for his support, after they held talks in Moscow on Wednesday focussed on financial aid for Venezuela.
Venezuela, which has been rocked by deadly protests and economic chaos that caused dire shortages of food and medicine, is counting on Russian support amid growing international isolation.
“I thank you for all the support, both political and diplomatic, during the difficult moments we are experiencing,” Maduro said in remarks before the two presidents met behind closed doors.
“We see that Venezuela is undergoing an uneasy time. There is the impression that you have nonetheless managed to establish some kind of contact with the political forces that oppose you,” Putin said.
Debts
The Kremlin said prior to the meeting that the two would discuss debt restructuring.
“With regard to the Venezuelan-Russian talks, debt restructuring is, of course, one of the subjects of the negotiations,” Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.
“No doubt the subject should be seriously discussed. That is why the talks are being conducted,” Peskov added.
Maduro said in a video tweet as he emerged from the Kremlin that “it’s been an extraordinary day of work with President Putin,” adding that the two consolidated a “strategic relationship” though without elaborating on what the two agreed.
In 2011, Russia granted Venezuela a loan to finance the purchase of Russian arms including tanks and missiles.
Venezuela had struggled to service the debt, which stood at $2.8 billion as of 2016.
Moscow also appears to have found a roundabout way to prop up the crisis-stricken country by extending a loan through oil giant Rosneft.—