Several reputable international media houses, including Yahoo! and Reuters, have reported that Russia will be sending a “relatively small number” of “combat vessels” to the Caribbean “this summer.” These warships are expected to conduct military exercises in the Caribbean Sea and possibly make stops at Cuban and Venezuelan ports, according to Yahoo! Reuters, and the Guardian. This publication has received intelligence that the warships will “more than likely” convene with the Venezuelan military for joint naval exercises. The warships will be shadowed by Russian military jets.
The United States military said it will monitor the movement of Russian military deployments into the Caribbean Sea this summer. A statement from the United States military suggests that these Russian military exercises, while not uncommon, may have been influenced by the United States’ green-lighting Ukraine to strike inside Russia with US weapons. However, the US believes that the anticipated Russian deployment of warships into the Caribbean Sea this summer poses no direct threat to the United States.
This move, although somewhat routine, raises concerns amongst the Guyanese populace that Russia might be backing Venezuela to invade the Essequibo. Doubtless, Russia is currently a strong Venezuelan ally, but it has given no indication that it supports a Venezuelan offensive on the Essequibo. And while the Venezuelan military has been making clearly measurable advances on the Essequibo region, the chances of an invasion are still infinitesimally small due to Guyana’s strong support from Brazil, the United States, United Kingdom, and even France.
Vladimir Putin may have, however, a much more powerful ulterior motive for wanting to fortify the Venezuelan military at this time: to keep Nicolas Maduro in power. Venezuela’s national elections is due for July 28th this year, and embattled Nicolas Maduro will face increased pressure to do the right thing step down. If the main opposition political party, headed by right wing capitalist Maria Corina Machado, unseats Maduro, then Putin will no longer have the stranglehold he currently has on Venezuela.
Vladimir Putin is currently raping Venezuela of its gold and other resources via dictator rigger Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela currently owes Russia billions of US dollars – a bargaining chip via which Putin has been milking Venezuela of its valuable resources for years. If Maduro gets unseated and Machado grabs the reigns of power, then Putin will no longer be able to juice Venezuela since Maria Corina Machado’s party will align with the United States.
If Maria Corina Machado’s party takes the seat of power this year, and it most likely will if a democratic electoral process is followed, then it will mark a significant geopolitical shift for the Kremlin. Russia will no longer have Venezuela as a strategic military partner.
The scheduled show of Russian military prowess in the Caribbean this summer has several objectives, one of which speculatively may be influencing the Venezuelan military to keep Nicolas Maduro in power–as it has been doing for years–to the detriment of millions of suffering and displaced Venezuelans.
