Russian foreign minister visits Caracas and reaffirms support of Venezuela’s Maduro

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reaffirmed his government’s support for the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during an hours-long visit to the South American country. Lavrov on Tuesday expressed Russia’s commitment to strategic cooperation in numerous sectors, including technology, energy and culture. His meetings with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and Foreign Minister Yván Gil in the capital, Caracas, took place as Venezuela’s government and a U.S.-backed faction of the opposition continue to negotiate conditions to level the playing field ahead of this year’s presidential election. During the difficult negotiation process, which started in 2021 and has been guided by Norwegian diplomats, Russia has completely backed the Venezuelan government.