Putin voices support for Maduro as leader visits Moscow for financial aid

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Putin voices support for Maduro as leader visits Moscow for financial aid

AFP in Moscow
Wed 5 Dec 2018 16.33 GMT Last modified on Wed 5 Dec 2018 16.50 GMT

Vladimir Putin has voiced support for the Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, as he visited Moscow seeking financial assistance for the socialist country’s collapsing economy.

At a meeting at Putin’s residence outside Moscow, the Russian president told Maduro: “We support your efforts to achieve mutual understanding in society and all your actions aimed at normalising relations with the opposition.”

Putin added: “Naturally we condemn any actions that are clearly terrorist in nature, any attempts to change the situation by force.”

Hit by low oil prices, mismanagement and the impact of US sanctions, Venezuela is in freefall and Maduro is seeking support from allies after winning a second presidential term this year.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/05/putin-maduro-support-moscow-visit-financial-aid

[GatoGordo]

1. Good luck with that

Maduro owes BILLIONS of dollars to the Russians, with no way to pay. Maduro WAS offering payments in crude, but now they cannot even do that. Putin isn't going to throw any more money down the corrupt Chavismo rat hole. Though Maduro WILL return home with the boast of "YUGE... REALLY BIGGLY" amounts of loans that no one ever will see.

I imagine the next step is offering up "mineral rights" to the gold and coltan that Chavez was so adamant about "keeping Venezuelan". Already, the entire east of the country is in danger of being strip mined.