Русский
The Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, has said that he will have a meeting with Russian State Duma (lower house) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin who presented Moscow during Friday’s (January 10) inauguration ceremony of the Venezuelan leader.
Maduro stated “I have a meeting with Russian President Putin’s special envoy planned” at a rally supporting his inauguration as Venezuelan President, adding that he would also have meetings with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s envoy and prime ministers from numerous other countries.
Maduro’s inauguration occurred six months after national elections, which were heavily contested amongst allegations of vote rigging. Venezuelan authorities state Maduro won the Presidential election on July 28, 2024 with 51.95% of the vote, while his main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, scored 43.18%. However, Gonzalez’s team has not recognized defeat, with him being supported by multiple Western nations including the United States, and European Union in addition to Brazil and several other Latin American countries. Gonzalez meanwhile has fled to the Dominican Republic.
The United States has issued a reward of US$25 million for assistance with Maduro’s arrest and detention and have issued sanctions against him and other Venezuelan officials. The country has long been under US sanctions, with Venezuela possessing the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
Bilateral trade between Venezuela and Russia has been gradually increasing, with the two countries signing new trade agreements in November 2024, covering energy cooperation and petroleum exploration.
Further Reading
BRICS, Russia and Venezuela: 2024 Developments and Implications
