Thanks to the late Venezuela socialist dictator Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer March 5, 2013, his successor 56-year-old Nickolas Maduro ran Venezuela into the ground. When opposition leader Juan Guaido, head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared himself the new president Jan. 24, the Kremlin sent mercenaries to Venezuela to defend Maduro. Interfering in the Western Hemisphere, the Kremlin sent the so-called Wagner Group of mercenaries to defend Maduro in Venezuela, putting Russia in direct conflict with the U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee and member of the Armed Services Committee, wholeheartedly backs Guaido as Venezuela’s next president. “Our people are there directly for his [Maduro’s] protection,” said Yevgeny Shabayev, leader of a local chapter of Russian paramilitary contractors in Venezuela.
Maduro’s government said they put down a U.S.-backed coup attempt Monday, attempting move in on Maduro’s presidential palace. Getting dangerously close to a confrontation with Russia, President Donald Trump sent his backing to Guaido whom the U.S. recognizes as Venezuela’s new president. Russian recognizes only Maduro, the last vestige of Venezuela’s communist past, looking at all costs to hang on to power. Riots and anarchy in Caracas underscore the public’s disgust for the Maduro government, seeking an immediate change to Guaido. Shabayev confirmed that the Wagner Group offered Maduro paramilitary protection against a U.S.-backed coup. “It’s directly connected,” said Shabayev, regarding Russian paramilitary contractors arriving in Venezuela to protect Maduro’s government. U.S. officials no longer recognize Maduro’s government, backing Guaido for president.
Like in Syria, Russia has inserted itself in the Venezuelan civil war, hoping to preserve what’s left of his communist regime. But, like Chavez, Maduro has trashed the Venezuelan economy, now dealing with triple-digit inflation and massive currency devaluation. Despite its oil riches, Venezuela remains one of South America’s poorest countries, no longer competitive on the world stage. Like other communist regimes, the communist leanings drive away industry from investing in the country. Sending in mercenary troops, Russian hopes to intimidate the U.S. into backing away from supporting Guaido’s pro-U.S. government. Applying the Truman Doctrine, the U.S. State Department opposes Russian intervention in the Western Hemisphere, much the same way Russia wants the U.S. out of its backyard in Ukraine, where pro-Western coup April 22, 2014 turned Ukraine on its head.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Maduro Venezuela’s “lawful leader,” something the Kremlin said when Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from Kiev Feb. 22, 2014, only a week before Russian President Vladimir Putin seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. Calling Venezuela subject to “destructive external interference,” pointing fingers at U.S. Vice President Mike Pence pledge any and all support to Guaido to assume Venezuela’s presidency. Russia has invested billions in Venezuela, primarily to reinforce its foothold in South America. Communist comrades Cuba and China, also back Maduro, not because he enjoys popular support for managing the economy but because he’s a Marxist, in the tradition of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other Latin American revolutionaries. Russian has no problem meddling in the Western hemisphere.
Trump’s decision to back Guaido puts him squarely in the tradition of defending the Truman Doctrine, where the U.S. is committed to stopping the spread of Russian-style communist revolution in the Western hemisphere. Saying that Washington shows “total disregard for the norms principles of international law,” Russia has thrown down the gauntlet once again to the U.S. “The United States is carrying out a classic coup d’etat in Venezuela,” said Lavrov, spewing more Cold War rhetoric. Venezuela’s popular uprising stems from Chavez and now Madura’s failure to produce anything but poverty and misery for the Venezuelan people. Putin sent Dec. 20, 2018 two nuclear-capable Tupolev TU-160 bombers to Venezuela, trying to intimidate the U.S. to back out of Venezuela politics. Given Russia’s investment in Venezuela, watching it disintegrate cause panic in the Kremlin..
Seizing any opportunity to slam the United States, Russia has flashed its cards for all to see, violating the Truman Doctrine, interfering in the Western Hemisphere. While Trump wanted to improve U.S.-Russian relations, there’s no escaping Moscow’s ongoing attempts to smear the United States. Partnering with China, Cuba and other rogue regimes, Russia continues to stir the pot. Nationalist Russian activist Vladimir Zhirinosky blamed Trump’s support for Juan Guaido on Russia flying Tu-22 nuke-ready bombers to Venezuela. “When dozens of Tupelev Tu-22 planes will fly in Venezuela’s airspace, I’m sure no country will dare to intervene,” said Zhirinosky, clearly showing Putin aims to intimidate Washington. If Trump retreats in Caracas, Putin will be emboldened to take whatever steps he wants to assert his domination over Democracies in the Western Hemisphere..
