Nicaragua is engaging in tank war games alongside Russia and China. The Central American nation of about 5.7 million is smaller than New York.
It is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. Nevertheless, it is joining Russia, China, Belarus, Tajikistan, India and Egypt in a Moscow suburb, at an event sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The Diplomat reports.
The Center for Strategic & International Studies notes that “Though Russia has not been entirely absent from [Latin America] in recent years, recent statements from the Russian Defense Ministry bring that involvement to a new level. Late last month, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Russian plans to build military bases in Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela, marking Russia’s most forward endeavors in the region since the end of the Cold War.”
Joseph Klein, writing for Front Page, outlines Moscow’s deep and continuing bid to be a forceful military presence in Latin America:
“Russia is also on the lookout for refueling sites for Russian strategic bombers on patrol. Russia is already a major arms supplier to Venezuela, whose navy has conducted joint maneuvers with Russian ships. At least four Russian Navy ships visited Venezuela last August, the Venezuelan daily El Universal reported.“Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers flew last October from an airbase in southwestern Russia and landed in Venezuela in routine exercise,” Russia’s Defense Ministry announced, according to the Voice of Russia. “The nuclear-capable bombers, which took off from the Engels airbase in the Volga region, ‘flew over the Caribbean, the eastern Pacific and along the southwestern coast of the North American continent, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela,’ the ministry said in a statement.”
Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela, is so enamored of Putin that he expressed support last year for the Russian president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. During a visit to Moscow by Maduro last summer, Maduro and Putin reaffirmed, in Putin’s words, “their wish for continuing their course towards strategic cooperation in all sectors.”
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Putin was the first Russian president to visit Cuba since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Pravda quoted Putin as declaring in 2012 that Russia gained the consent of the Cuban leadership to place ‘the latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles ‘Oak’ on the island,’ …
Left-wing Argentinian President Cristina Fernández is intent on forging closer relations with Russia, inviting Russia to invest in fuel projects. … Ecuador was also interested in buying Russian military equipment.
“… what we are seeking with Russia is a strategic partnership based on the joint development of technology,” said Brazilian Defense Minister Celso Amorim after meeting with his Russian counterpart.”
Russia is also forging a closer relationship with El Salvador.
Nicaragua is not just interested in Russian tanks. McClatchy reports that “Russia is rekindling its once-strong ties to Nicaragua, possibly including providing the Central American nation with jet fighters, stoking unease as far away as the Andes in South America…The rumored provision of the Russian jet fighters to Nicaragua has spawned fears of an arms race in Central America and once again made Nicaragua a bit player in the geopolitical to-and-fro between Washington and Moscow. … In 2013, Russia agreed to offer patrol gunboats to Nicaragua. As part of the Russian defense minister’s visit in February, Nicaragua agreed to ease rules to allow Russian warships to enter Nicaraguan ports. More than 45 military cadets and officers left Nicaragua last September for extended training in Russia.”