Moscow wants to save in Caracas, to save what is

Moscow will do "everything in his Power to support the legitimate government of President Maduro", the Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday. With the new sanctions the United States had followed the "way to an illegal regime change". What measures Russia is considering, let Lavrov open in the first place.

The Kremlin has denied reports that dozens or even hundreds of mercenaries to Venezuela brought had been to ensure the personal protection of the President Nicolas Maduro . In this case, should be members of the security service of Wagner, the primary former special forces of the army belong to and the close ties to the Kremlin are believed to have. They were already in Syria, Ukraine and Africa.

Maduro and Russian President Vladimir Putin are old friends. During a visit at the beginning of December in Moscow raved about Maduro, he fights along with the "brother nation" Russia is for a "multi-polar world". And the three days long Visit, paid for the Venezuelans: Six billion Swiss francs promised in the Kremlin, Maduro apparently. In addition, Russia wanted to deliver in the starving Land of 600'000 tons of wheat, nearly three times as much as the last few years.

Shortly after the Meeting in the Kremlin, two Russian supersonic bombers landed – much to the Annoyance of the United States – in Venezuela, the so-called BJ' which can also be nuclear-tipped. Russian media claimed it was only the beginning, Maduro and Putin would have agreed upon at their Meeting, the establishment of a Russian air base in Venezuela.

After a few days the machines were flying back but to Russia, without new bombers were sent on their way. Similar Conversions had taken place in previous years.

"Destructive interference"

Now it is bad to the brother state. In Venezuela, a new line-up to Power, threatening Moscow to lose everything. Because the Opposition is closer to Washington than to Moscow. Putin has said Maduro immediately to support. "The destructive foreign interference occurs, the principles of international Law with feet", scolded Moscow. The recognition of Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader of the country was casting a "direct path to lawlessness and blood."

The friendship with Venezuela may be low, in view of the approximately 17 billion dollars from Russia flowed in the last 13 years, according to Caracas. Particularly old but it is not. You only started in 2005, with Hugo Chávez. Russia invested, supplied wheat, but also in weapons: Kalashnikov rifles, Sukhoi fighter jets, tanks. In addition, the state-owned company bought large a Rosneft surface to the Venezuelan oil giant, PDVSA, the US is now using sanctions.

Meanwhile, Russia is one of the last friends, in addition to the Chinese, of course, have invested in Venezuela, according to estimates, up to 70 billion Swiss francs repayable in Oil. Of course, Moscow wants to now save his money. The Ministry of Finance said yesterday that they expect repayment in the amount of 100 million Swiss francs on schedule for the end of March.

dubious friends

But the Kremlin knows that economic contracts are often worth a lot, if the Wind turns and the Americans come into play: In Iraq, Russia lost its jobs in the Ölbusiness virtually complete and had to write off the debts of Baghdad to get back into the game. The Opposition in Venezuela has so far made no Commitments to preserve the Russian economic interests, should they come to Power. However, it would not be the first Time that Putin has billions of stick-to-a-doubt, friend loses. In Libya, the Russian Giant Gazprom had lost with the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, a billion of francs, in the Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-day invested in front of his three billion in loans.

Putin is willing to pay for its geostrategic calculus. The Russians liked to Maduro, in particular, its consistent Anti-Americanism. Such countries courted Putin. If Maduro falls, this would be a severe setback: in addition to the money Moscow would lose its Partner in South America, and the Region almost the whole of the USA.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 29.01.2019, 19:05 PM