Russia vows more support for Venezuelan ‘friend’ President Nicolas Maduro, will also send more humanitarian aid
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after talks with Venezuelan vice president, says Russia will assisting authorities in crisis-hit country
Russia on Friday vowed to maintain support for the embattled regime of its Venezuelan “friend” President Nicolas Maduro, including with humanitarian aid supplies.
During talks with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin expressed “support and solidarity for his colleague and friend” Maduro in the country’s political stand-off with the opposition.
“Russia will continue to assist the Venezuelan authorities in resolving social and economic problems, including through the provision of legitimate humanitarian aid,” Lavrov told a joint news conference with Rodriguez afterwards.
Battered by an economic meltdown, Venezuela descended into political crisis when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in January and asserted that Maduro was no longer legitimate.
Maduro and his allies – including Russia – have accused Washington of attempting to carry out a coup against his government.
