Maduro turns to Moscow, Beijing, Tehran as US presence builds in Caribbean

ISTANBUL

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is looking to Russia, China and Iran to bolster his depleted defense capabilities as it faces an increased US military presence in the Caribbean, according to internal US documents reported by The Washington Post.

The Venezuelan president is seeking assistance for radar systems, aircraft repairs and possibly missile supplies.

The appeals to Moscow were conveyed in a letter addressed to President Vladimir Putin, to be delivered during a senior aide’s visit to Moscow earlier this month.

Maduro also prepared a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping seeking “expanded military cooperation” in response to “the escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela,” according to the documents published Thursday by the newspaper.

Maduro urged Beijing to speed up Chinese firms’ production of radar detection systems to strengthen Venezuela’s defenses.

The US documents added that “in the missive, Maduro emphasized the seriousness of perceived U.S. aggression in the Caribbean, framing US military action against Venezuela as action against China due to their shared ideology.”

The documents said Transport Minister Ramon Celestino Velasquez arranged a recent shipment of military gear and drones from Iran and planned a visit, telling an Iranian official that Venezuela needs “passive detection equipment,” “GPS scramblers” and “almost certainly drones with 1,000 km [600 mile] range.”

The growing US military presence in the Caribbean marks one of the most serious tests for Maduro since he took office in 2013. Washington has carried out more than a dozen strikes on what it said are drug-trafficking vessels leaving Venezuelan waters, killing at least 61 people since September. The US has not publicly provided evidence to support its drug-trafficking claims, while Maduro has rejected the allegations.

In early October, during a call with Venezuela’s foreign minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov “expressed serious concern about the increasing escalation of Washington’s activities in the Caribbean Sea.”

And on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow “respects Venezuela’s sovereignty” and maintains the matter should be handled in line with “international law."

In mid-October, Velasquez, Venezuela’s transport minister, visited Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, according to the Russian Transport Ministry. Documents obtained by the newspaper indicate he was also tasked with delivering Maduro’s letter to Putin.

In the message, Maduro asked Russia to help strengthen Venezuela’s air defenses, including restoring several Russian-made Sukhoi Su-20MK2 aircraft. He requested support to overhaul eight engines and five radars in Russia, obtain 14 sets of what were believed to be Russian missiles, and provide unspecified “logistical support,” the documents show.

According to the US records, Maduro stressed that Russian-made Sukhoi jets “represented the most important deterrent” for Venezuela and sought a “medium-term financing plan of three years” through Rostec, with no amount specified.

Experts said much of Venezuela’s arsenal is outdated or not working. A former Venezuelan officer said that by 2018, fewer than five Russian-made Sukhoi jets were operational, as reported by the newspaper

The officer added that Chavez acquired Russian helicopters and missiles, but most are outdated and pose little threat to the US. “Chavez bought, or Russia sold Venezuela, pure junk,” said the officer.

This month, Maduro nevertheless claimed Venezuela deployed 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S portable air-defense systems nationwide.