Russia president, warships to Venezuela to counter US

CARACAS (Reuters) – Warships, nuclear power, arms sales and perhaps cooperation on oil prices — Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev is in Venezuela this week with an alarming sounding list to wave under Washington’s nose.

The U.S. government dismisses the importance of Medvedev’s visit on Wednesday to meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the deployment of several Russian warships for joint military exercises with Venezuelan forces in the Caribbean. It says Russia’s weak navy is no threat and downplays its rivals’ blooming friendship.


But OPEC-member Venezuela is Russia’s first firm ally in the Americas since the Cold War and Moscow sees ties to Chavez as a way to answer U.S. influence close to its borders in the Caucasus.

Russia’s aim to grow its Latin American presence may be hurt by falling oil prices and Barack Obama’s U.S. election win, which could help the United States regain influence lost in the region during the unpopular presidency of George W. Bush.

Still, Chavez has made a career of opposing the U.S. “empire” and he welcomes a heavyweight partner like Russia as an alternative to ties with his main oil client Washington.

Reuters