Russia's ratification of the agreement with Venezuela on strategic partnership and cooperation against the background of what is happening is not perceived as a routine step. What is behind this agreement, which was sent to the State Duma of the Russian Federation the day before, the observer writes Pravda.Ru Lyubov Stepushova.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted an agreement with Venezuela on strategic partnership and cooperation to the Duma for ratification. Earlier, Venezuela also ratified the agreement. It was concluded against the background of the Pentagon blockade of the Caribbean Sea with an eye to the destruction of suspected drug trafficking boats. Five have already been destroyed, which was regarded in the region as piracy.
The US authorities have repeatedly stated that President Nicolas Maduro must "answer to American justice" as the head of drug trafficking in the United States. The story of the "test tubes" repeats itself, when the United States was simply looking for any reason to attack Iraq, to take over the country's oil fields. Two days ago, US President Donald Trump authorized the CIA to conduct subversive operations in Venezuela.
Now no more than 30% of Polymarket users are betting that he will decide to get involved in a large-scale war, which this time has a chance to become a protracted crisis for him.
The United States misjudges the potential of Venezuela's resistance, considering it weakened by failures in the economy and sanctions. The Venezuelan conflict is described there as the suppression of democracy by a dictatorship. But this is not the case. With the victory of ex-President Hugo Chavez in 1998, real democracy came to the country: power passed from the white colonialists to the local population, the Indians, who mixed ethnically with the white and black races. They now make up more than 70% of the population. Prior to that, the white elite, to which Nobel laureate Maria Machado belongs, had monopolized power for centuries.
These people have long fled the country, their children are studying in the USA and Europe, so it is understandable that Machado supports Trump's crazy ideas to bomb Venezuelans and promises to give him Venezuelan oil as soon as he comes to power. However, the arrival of Machado for Venezuela is like the return of the Shah for Iran, and for Russia — the conditional Yeltsin, the people do not even accept such an idea. Yes, many Venezuelans are dissatisfied with the state of the economy, but the national idea is present and does not let them relax. Repeated attempts of coups each time ended in failure and the flight of a cohort of oppositionists abroad.
What will the strategic agreement with the Russian Federation give Venezuela? According to Article 14, the parties "improve defense ties in areas of mutual interest" and support military-technical cooperation "in the interests of strengthening the defense capability and ensuring the security of the two countries within the framework of the implementation of existing agreements." For example, a licensed plant for the production of AK-103 Kalashnikov assault rifles operates in Venezuela.
Joint exercises are possible, let's recall what a stir the visit of Tu-160 missile carriers caused in the United States in 2018. The Venezuelan army is armed with Russian Su-30 fighters equipped with anti-ship missiles. They need to be repaired and maintained, you can invite Russian specialists.
It would be a strategic weakening for Russia if its main adversary controlled the richest oil and gas country in the world.
Deployment of Dagger or Zircon missiles in Venezuela, as well as the organization of a military base, is a completely different level of military cooperation and protection of Rosneft's assets in this country. Moscow says that cooperation with Venezuela, as well as with other countries, is carried out without creating threats to third countries. This is her principled position, and she demands the same from the Americans, calling for the return of NATO to the borders of 1997. Trump keeps quiet about the Tomahawks in Ukraine, so the Kremlin has the right to announce the supply of Zircons and wait for a return phone call from the United States.
Many countries in the region will support the military alliance of the Russian Federation and Venezuela. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would not go to the summit of the Americas in the Dominican Republic, as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Mexico is the next victim of the Pentagon, and then before Brazil is not far away.