Two Tu-160 Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons landed in Caracas yesterday as Putin continues to show his support of socialist president Nicolas Maduro.
The long-range strategic bombers landed at Simón Bolívar airport with two other Russian planes confirmed to be an An-124 transport plane and an Il-62 passenger plane.
Capable of carrying short-range nuclear missiles, the Russian supersonic bombers can fly over 7,500 miles without re-fuelling and last landed in Venezuela in 2008 and 2013.
Venezuelan defence minister General Vladimir Padrino was present at the airport to personally welcome about 100 Russian pilots and other personnel accompanying the planes.
Speaking to local media, he said “we are preparing to defend Venezuela to the last inch”, referring to President Maduro’s frequent claims that the US was planning an invasion of his country.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has described the Russian show of support for the Venezuelans as “two corrupt governments squandering public funds.”
The Russians retaliated by calling his claims “completely inappropriate” and "undiplomatic".
The arrival of Russian military aircraft on Venezuelan soil comes just one week after President Maduro travelled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin.
The pair discussed financial help for Caracas, as well as cooperation on oil and gas development.
Russia has repeatedly and openly supported Venezuela's sovereignty, maintaining that the country should be allowed to develop without external interference.
The support of the Russians is a welcome sight for the Venezuelan president who has recently found himself becoming increasingly isolated since Donald Trump’s election.
In response to heavy sanctions placed on Venezuela’s closest allies, President Maduro has forged friendships with Trump’s adversaries – most notably strengthening his ties with Russia, China and Iran.
The US has accused Venezuela's government of violating human rights and of triggering an economic meltdown, with Donald Trump hinting at the use of military action against the country.
In November, Trump signed an executive order banning anyone in the US from dealing with entities and people involved in "corrupt or deceptive" gold sales from the South American country.
The decision came after he banned US financial institutions from providing new money to the government or the state oil company, PDVSA, last year.
Venezuela is in its fourth straight year of recession, with double-digit declines in its gross domestic product.
The inflation rate is expected to reach one million percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Almost two million Venezuelans have already fled the ailing oil-rich nation, having been driven out by acute food and medicine shortages, and soaring violent crime rates.
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