A FLEET of Russian warships set sail for Venezuela on Monday to take part in joint military exercises.
This is believed to be a rebuff to the US and part of a plan to intensify the relationship between Moscow and Latin American countries.
In a move which has not been seen since the Cold War, the fleet of ships, headed by the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser, set off from its base at Severomorsk in the Arctic to travel the 15,000 nautical miles to its destination.
As well as this joint exercise with Venezuela, which is due to start in November, the Russian deputy Prime Minister, Igor Sechin has also visited Caracas to explore the possibility of Russian oil firms setting up in the country.
Igor Sechin said that the US should not view Latin America as its own backyard, “It would be wrong to talk about one nation having exclusive rights to this zone.”
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who was due to visit Moscow this week, said on Sunday that Latin America needed a strong friendship with Russia to help reduce Washington’s influence in the region.
