Maduro veers Venezuela closer to axis of authoritarian states

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is forging ties with authoritarian regimes with the aim of solidifying their sway on the global stage, including North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran, according to the Argentine online publication Infobae. 

This strategy is positioning Caracas as a key player in a global network of states that are undermining stability in the Western Hemisphere.

For several years, Maduro has maintained secret contacts with North Korea, promoting the integration of authoritarian governance practices into Venezuela’s domestic affairs, journalists say, citing anonymous officials.

“The Venezuelan regime has been steadily consolidating its power, becoming more equipped and organized while carrying out covert deals with the support of its strategic partners, whom Maduro refers to as ‘older brothers’: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea,” said an unnamed official.

Joint military exercises and high-level negotiations with Pyongyang are further strengthening Venezuela’s ambitions to become a crucial ally in this network of cooperation, the official adds.

At the same time, military sources indicate that Venezuela is securing agreements with Russia, China, and Iran in energy, strategic resources, and national security. 

These countries, which share common interests in reducing U.S. influence in Latin America, have become Venezuela’s primary partners in its efforts to maintain and expand its power across the continent.

Drug cartels and terrorism remain central to Maduro’s domestic policy, and his regime is actively cooperating with international criminal organizations, including Colombian guerrillas and Iran-backed groups.

As a result, Venezuela is becoming an increasingly significant threat to the stability of the entire Americas, the publication warns.

In a notable move last September, Venezuela publicly handed over two Colombian nationals to Russia, who had fought for Ukraine. These individuals, Alexander Ante and José Aron Medina, joined the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the summer of 2023.

Earlier, Ukrainian journalist and analyst Vitaly Portnikov said that the confrontation between democracies and dictatorships is inevitable. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is escalating global conflicts, which will define the struggle between the civilized world and dictatorships in the coming decades.