In photos: the umbelical cord between Moscow and Caracas
Venezuela and Russia have maintained close ties over the past two decades, beginning with the rise of President Hugo Chavez. It is still unclear what it will take to prise Moscow away from Maduro and Venezuela's oil and gas fields.
February 22, 2020 05:43 PM
February 22, 2020 06:18 PM
Chavez and Putin 2010Hugo Chavez offers a ceremonial sword to Vladimir Putin during the Russian leader's official visit to Venezuela, April 2, 2010.AP
Maduro and PutinVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, left, speaks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, on October 4, 2017.Yuri Kadobnov / Pool Photo via AP
Venezuela cancilleria.jpgRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the left, meets Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in Caracas on February 6, 2020.Venezuela, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lavrov and MaduroRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Venezuela in February 2019 and criticized the US sanctions. In the photo (left) with Nicolás Maduro.AFP
Maduro and rifle.jpgPresident Maduro plays with a Russian assault rifle under the eyes of the Minister of Defense, during military exercises carried out in January 2017.Juan Barreto / AFP / Getty Images
padrino lopez and Tu160 crew
Tu-160 in VenezuelaA Russian Tu-160 bomber, at Maiquetia airport, Venezuela, December 2018. The Tu-160 is one of the largest warplanes with the capacity to carry nuclear weapons.AFP
Russian-made anti-aircraft defense system of the VenezuelanRussian medium-range anti-aircraft defense system on display in Venezuelan army parade, February 13, 2020.Getty Images
aviación-800x445 Gob de Vzla.jpgVenezuela is the largest client of Russian weapons in Latin America, with the purchase of Kalishnikov rifles, and Sukhoi fighter jets, seen here in a government photo.
Sechin and PutinRussian President Vladimir Putin, on the left, listens to Russian Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin during his flight to visit a coal mine in Russia, August 27, 2018.Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP