Russia may be abandoning the world’s worst dictator in Venezuela
SUMMARY
Nicolas Maduro is the world's worst dictator in the world's worst dictatorship. To be clear, he's not the worst in that he's particularly repressive to his citizens or running concentration camps. He's the worst in terms of how he came to power and how he holds on to it. He rose in power thanks to Hugo Chavez' cult of personality while he and his party managed the rapid decline of what was one of South America's most vibrant economies.
For a while, it looked like the Kremlin might have been propping up his regime, but now it looks like Moscow might be abandoning him.
Maduro maintains a tenuous grip on power solely because the street thugs – colectivos – and military generals who protect him have more to lose than he does if they lose control of Venezuela. For the Russians, their biggest gain in propping up Maduro is annoying the United States in its own backyard. Unfortunately for Maduro, Russian support may be all he has left, and he may be losing that.
In March 2019, Russia sent military planes, materiel, and advisors to Venezuela, confidently showing the world the Kremlin had Maduro's back and that any intervention in Venezuela's ongoing political crisis would be met with Russian interference as well. But the Venezuelan President's luck might be running out.
Don't give anyone any ideas.
On June 2, 2019, Russia withdrew its contractors and defense advisors in the country and the private Russian firm paid by Venezuela to train its military just cut its Russian staff by half. This latest development may be showing that the millions the Maduro regime owes the Russians may not be enough for Russia to keep Maduro's government from collapsing on itself. The biggest reason for the pullout, according to the Wall Street Journal, is that Maduro can't actually pay the Russians anymore.
American sanctions against Venezuela and the long-term decline of the country's oil production infrastructure has led to a huge decline in the country's coffers. The United States and Russia showcase Venezuela's struggle in their own struggle for worldwide supremacy. But even so, it may not be enough for the Russians to keep Maduro's barely-functional regime afloat.
