Venezuela welcomes Russian bombers

Russia has landed two nuclear-capable “Blackjack” bombers in Venezuela as part of a joint training exercise experts say is designed to showcase Moscow’s growing military prowess and shore up the position of Venezuela’s embattled President, Nicolas Maduro.

The Tu-160 planes touched down at the Simon Bolivar international airport near Caracas, according to Venezuelan state media.

Russia’s defence ministry said the strategic bombers were part of a larger fleet also including an An-124 military transport plane and an Il-62 passenger jet that had flown more than 10,000km to Venezuela.

Venezuela’s Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, said the arrival of the aircraft for joint manoeuvres was not intended as a provocation. “We are makers of peace, not war,” he was quoted as saying by the state broadcaster Venezolana de Television (VTV).

Russia’s ambassador in Caracas, Vladimir Zaemskiy, told VTV the deployment reflected the “very fruitful” military partnership that had developed since the relationship was forged by Venezuela’s late leader Hugo Chavez in 2005.

However, specialists say the move – which follows a threeday visit to Moscow by Maduro last week – is designed to signal to Washington that Caracas is not without international support.

Earlier this month the US Defence Secretary, James Mattis, described Maduro as an irresponsible despot who was leading his country into ruin and would ultimately “have to go”.

Last year Donald Trump told reporters there were “many options” to resolve the Venezuelan crisis, before adding: “And by the way, I’m not going to rule out a military option.”

“Russian military exercises involving Venezuela are not new, but the timing is suspect,” said Harold Trinkunas, a Venezuela specialist at Stanford University.

Trinkunas said the deployment was “most likely a signal of support for the Maduro regime at a time when both Russia and Venezuela are experiencing increased tensions with the US”.

“Russia has also been keen to exercise its long-range military capabilities in recent years, and such a visit to Venezuela fulfils that function as well,” he added.

For Maduro the visit was designed to underline that he did enjoy some “external support visa-vis the US and its sanctions” as well as seeking to highlight Venezuela’s geopolitical relevance.

Maduro, who blames his country’s economic collapse on a US-driven “economic war”, returned from his trip to Russia touting $6bn in investment and deals designed to shore up Venezuela’s crumbling economy.

He lashed out at the US on Sunday night, claiming a White House-backed coup attempt was afoot designed to “disturb Venezuela’s democratic life”.