Venezuela crisis

JohninMK wrote:Suddenly everything has changed in Venezuela. Following the 'red lines' meeting in Rome a couple of days ago, the Russian Army advanced party has arrived today, 99 in an Il-62 and goodness knows what in an An-124.

And now, according to journalist Javier I. Mayorca, Colonel General Vasily Tonkoshkurov, chief of the Main Staff of the Ground Forces - First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces of Russia, arrived in Venezuela.

So we have one of the most significant Russian Generals now in Venezuela with his staff and protection teams with their equipment coming out the back of the Antonov and I think we can be certain that there is no beachware included.

This is looking more like the start up of Russian ops in Syria. This is the 'what do you need, how can we help' team.

This could be Venezuela transforming from a hedgehog into a porcupine.

do we know what kind of units were these 100 troops that arrived in Venezuela?

i found some more info here
https://southfront.org/russian-military-delegation-visits-venezuela-ahead-of-expected-crackdown-on-us-backed-opposition/

Javier I.Mayorka wrote: “This Afternoon [March 23rd] a retinue of 99 Russian soldiers arrived at the airport of Maiquetía, under the command of the chief of staff of the ground forces General Vasilly Tonkoshkurov. They were received on presidential ramp by Rear Admiral Marianny Mata, Director of International Affairs and Integration of the Venezuelan Army (1/2)

Immediately thereafter (2pm) A Russian freighter arrived at the same terminal with 35 tonnes of materials, belonging to the contingent that had just landed. In The reception entourage was also staff of the Russian Embassy and the Commander of the Operation Zone of Integral Defense 61 Delta Amacuro. Edgar Colina Reyes”

Sputnik cited an anonymous diplomatic source in Caracas, according to who a group of Russian military personnel have arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas to take part in consultations with country’s officials on defence industry cooperation.

“[The Russian military personnel] has arrived to take part in bilateral consultations,” the source said. “Russia [and Venezuela] have a number of contracts, which are being implemented, including contracts on military and technical cooperation.”

Maduro on March 20th said Russia would send medicine “next week” to Venezuela, without describing how it would arrive, adding that Moscow in February had sent some 300 tonnes of humanitarian aid.

Meanwhile, satellite imagery showed that the Venezuelan military deployed more Russian S-300 missile defense systems at an airbase south of Caracas.



https://twitter.com/ImageSatIntl/status/1109831650853171200/photo/1

Venezuelan parliament set to demand withdrawal of Russian military

Two Russian planes carrying servicemen and 35 tonnes of cargo arrived in Caracas on March 23 under intergovernmental miltiary cooperation deal

CARACAS, March 27. /TASS/. Members of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled parliament are set to demand the withdrawal of Russian military from the country, lawmaker Sirit Eliezer told a parliamentary session on Tuesday.

"We join lawmaker Marquina’s demand that Juan Guaido [who declared himself Venezuela’s acting president] as a commander in chief order those people, who trespassed on Venezuela’s territory, to leave immediately," he said, adding that only the National Assembly (parliament) had the exclusive authority to invite foreign armed forces to the country’s territory.

The El Comercio newspaper earlier reported that an Antonov An-124 and an Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft carrying Russian troops and 35 tonnes of cargo arrived in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on March 23.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday Russian military specialists arrived to the country in strict compliance with the republic’s constitution. "The Russian specialists’ presence in Venezuela is regulated by an agreement between the Russian government and the government of Venezuela on military-technical cooperation signed in May 2001, which passed all ratification procedures in both countries in due time. No additional authorization by Venezuela’s National Assembly is required for steps to develop bilateral military-technical cooperation taken within the framework of that agreement," she pointed out.


More:
http://tass.com/world/1050671