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Russia’s toehold in the hemisphere…

… is getting just a tad firmer, with Cold War echoes:

UPDATED

Rusia busca afianzar su relación con Venezuela y Cuba Russia seeks to strengthen its relationship with Venezuela and Cuba.

The graphic says,

Venezuela and Cuba, Russia’s partners
Russia consolidates its strategic alliance with both countries
Russia and Cuba: Russia is Cuba’s #10 business partner
Business trade (2007): US$363 million
Russia was Cuba’s top provider from 1961-1991

Venezuela and Russia: Business trade (2007): US$1,129 million
Weapons agreements: Total amount US$4,400 million
100,000 Kalashinikov rifles, 24 Sukhoi-30 airplanes

In Venezuela,
Venezuela, Russia discuss nuclear energy, flights
Venezuela, Russia under negotiation on forming bi-national bank
Russia’s RusAl to develop bauxite, aluminum in Venezuela
Venezuela, Russia discuss 46 cooperation projects

In Cuba,
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque will visit Russia on November 8-12 to discuss foreign political issues and bilateral relations.
Hundreds of believers attend Russian temple consecration in Havana

The Temple of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan erected in Havana is a monument to Russia-Cuba relations and a sign of their wish to develop interaction.

Russia to Loan Money to Cuba, $355 million.

UPDATE, Saturday, 8 November
Venezuela to offer Russians Crystallex gold project

Venezuela said it will offer a joint venture to Russian-owned miner Rusoro (RML.V: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to operate the Las Cristinas and Brisas gold projects, currently under contract to two Canadian companies, Mining minister Rodolfo Sanz on Thursday.

He told a Russian delegation that a memorandum of understanding would soon be signed with Rusoro.

It appeared that Sanz intends to replace the Canadian companies who operate the projects that contain some of Latin America’s largest gold deposits, with Rusoro, but he did not mention their names.

All that Russian friendship comes at a price.

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 7th, 2008 at 8:26 pm and is filed under Cuba, Latin America, Russia, Venezuela, news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “Russia’s toehold in the hemisphere…”

  1. sch Says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 12:15 am

    Little discussed as yet is the impact on oil heavy
    states of the dramatic drop in oil prices the past
    4months. We think Dow dropping 30% is bad just
    imagine the consternation in Iran, Venezuela and
    Russia over the revenue decline. This will put a
    crimp in Chavez’ adventurism.

  2. Arius Says:
    November 8th, 2008 at 12:20 am

    Fausta,

    I wish people would study carefully the fall of the USSR and opening of Russia to the West, and how the West betrayed its promise to Russia not to expand NATO into Eastern Europe, then bombed Yugoslavia which was interpreted in Russia as a strategy to breakup the Russian Federation, and supported the Chechen jihad against Russia (even hosting Chechen terrorist leaders in the White House). Correlate these events to Russia’s turn East into alliance with China. It is obvious that Russia felt betrayed by the West and has returned to its old Soviet alliances; it has given up on the West. Russia’s opening to the West in the 1990’s was a one in five hundred year opening, and the West blew it. The Islamic jihad must be ecstatic; the West is again split against itself. What chance does a divided West have against a one hundred year Islamic jihad? What a tragedy.