A Mature suffocated by sanctions seeks in Moscow the support of Putin

[KEPY™]

Nicolás Maduro wants to remind the world that he still has powerful allies. And he has crossed the ocean to shake hands with who has been one of his most important supports in recent times. The Chavista leader met on Wednesday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is the first official trip abroad of the Venezuelan since last January the president of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, proclaimed himself interim president of the Latin American country and was recognized by more than 50 countries. Maduro wants to support Putin's support. However, although the economic crisis in Venezuela is becoming more and more serious, no major new trade agreements have been signed for the moment.

"Russia unswervingly supports all legitimate bodies of authority in Venezuela, including the presidency and Parliament," Putin said Wednesday during his meeting with Maduro, according to the Tass agency, in which he has stated that he supports the Chavismo dialogue With the opposition. "Any refusal to maintain this dialogue would be irrational, harmful to the country and dangerous to the welfare of the people," insisted the Russian president. Maduro has stressed that Moscow and Caracas "have proven to overcome any difficulty together."
The Kremlin has reported that during the appointment - first only Maduro and Putin with their closest advisors; after lunch with other officials - several aspects of international cooperation were discussed. “Opinions will be exchanged on regional issues, of course. In the first place, Latin American issues and the direct intervention of third countries and States in Latin American affairs, ”said Russian President Dmitri Peskov's spokesman yesterday at a conference call. In an interview with Russian state channel Rossiya 24 shortly before leaving for Moscow, Maduro accused the US of planning to interfere in Venezuelan legislative elections, scheduled for next year.
Moscow is the main foreign support of the Maduro regime. He is not only an economic partner, in terms of defense and key energy provider for Caracas, which has made him his second creditor after China. He is also now his most valuable ally in foreign policy. Especially since the United States, which supports Guaidó, increased pressure on the Chavista regime with new sanctions. Yesterday, the same day that Maduro arrived in Moscow, Washington announced that its Agency for International Development (USAID) would support with a package of 52 million dollars to independent Venezuelan media, civil society projects and the health sector and the National Assembly, directed by Guaidó.

Maduro's visit to Moscow was scheduled for early October, the Kremlin announced last week. However, on Monday the Chavista leader announced on Twitter that he was going to Russia. Guaidó's path to power has stagnated and Maduro has seized the moment to travel abroad. "I will meet our friend fellow President Vladimir Putin with his work teams, to meet important business groups from Russia," Maduro said in Caracas. According to the Venezuelan, he will review "all the dynamics" of bilateral relations. The agenda will include meetings with “important” business groups.

But international sanctions against Moscow after the annexation by Russia of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and interference in other countries, fluctuations in the price of oil and the lack of structural reforms have left the Russian economy very touched. And Venezuela is still paying billions of euros in loans, partly with oil. So it will not be easy for Maduro to scratch new pacts. The Venezuelan leader, however, has hinted that other types of agreements are on the table. As new exchanges in defense. Shortly after Maduro's last visit to Moscow, last December, Russia sent two strategic bombers and later to several groups of what he has called military "advisers", as well as private contractors.

Yes, it has been announced that humanitarian aid, the supply of military spare parts as well as Russian grain to the Latin American country will be increased (from the 254,000 tons of grain last year to 600,000, as reported by the Russian agency Interfax). The Chavista leader has also assured that "very soon" direct flights will be inaugurated from Moscow to Caracas "so that young people can spend their vacations in Russia," he told Tass. To this is added that the Venezuelan state oil company, PDVSA, finalizes the transfer of its offices in Europe from Lisbon to Moscow, where it already has a physical headquarters.