The Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, expressed to the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, Moscow’s clear political support for Caracas in its efforts to “defend national sovereignty and ensure institutional stability” against “growing external pressure.”
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Both leaders spoke on the phone at a time of particular tension due to the deployment of US military ships off the Venezuelan coast, although the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement does not specifically refer to these movements.
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What was Venezuela’s response to Russian support?
The Vice President of Venezuela thanked Russia for its “unconditional” support “against the escalating threats from the United States government” towards the regime of Nicolás Maduro.
Lavrov and Rodríguez reiterated the willingness of both countries to strengthen their bilateral alliance and to strengthen ties on other international issues. The Venezuelan vice president emphasized her support for "efforts in peace negotiations," apparently referring to Ukraine, despite Russia expressing several doubts before sitting down to negotiate an agreement.
United States escalates its fight against drug trafficking
At the beginning of the month, Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin using military force against certain Latin American cartels classified by the White House as terrorist organizations.
Then, on August 18, Reuters reported that the destroyers USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson were en route to waters in the Caribbean “near Venezuela”. The deployment also included approximately 4,000 sailors and Marines, several P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and at least one attack submarine.
The next day, when asked about the deployment of ships to the Caribbean, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the United States would use “all its power” to stop the flow of drugs into its territory.