The Venezuelan government, according to the documents, is also reaching out to #China & #Iran, soliciting #military assistance & equipment to strengthen the country’s defenses. #Maduro composed a letter to Chinese President #Xi Jinping seeking “expanded military cooperation” between their two countries to counter “the escalation between the #US & #Venezuela.”
…But #Russia remains the primary lifeline for #Maduro. On Sunday, an Ilyushin Il-76—one of the Russian aircraft sanctioned in 2023 by the #US for participating in the arms trade & transporting mercenaries—arrived in #Caracas, #Venezuela’s capital, after a circuitous route over Africa to avoid Western airspace, according to Flightradar24. The Kremlin declined to comment on the letter.
Just a day earlier, Moscow ratified a new strategic treaty with Caracas.