{"id":3690,"date":"2019-05-01T12:58:18","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T12:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vricmonitor.org\/may-2019\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T18:38:40","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T18:38:40","slug":"may-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vric.securefreesociety.org\/es\/may-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"MAY 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Venezuela crisis continues to serve as a proxy battle by the VRIC nations against the United States. Russia is the most forward-facing member of the alliance with Vladimir Putin threatening to act in the event of U.S. intervention and helping build up the Maduro military with more shipments of riot gear, tear gas canisters, and a new helicopter training facility in Venezuela. But Russia is not Venezuela\u2019s only ally; Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his regime are shoring up its international support within the non-aligned movement.<\/p>

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Meanwhile, the U.S. tightens sanctions against Venezuela and other ALBA nations, namely Nicaragua and Cuba, adding to the recent measures taken against Iran and Hezbollah, including officially designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity and listing a $10 million reward for information that can disrupt Hezbollah\u2019s financial networks.<\/p>

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As Venezuela takes center stage, its ally Bolivia moves quietly to strengthen its cooperation with VRIC allies and non-ALBA nations in South America. It seems that a strategic play is taking place at the Port of Ilo, Peru potentially providing Bolivia with alternative access to the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>

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Moreover, China deepens its financial ties to Latin America with its second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE are increasing their diplomatic engagement with the region in an effort to form direct commercial ties. April has seen burgeoning activity from all VRIC nations in Latin America, highlighting a notable trend that when one VRIC nation asserts its presence in a particular country, the other allies compound with additional deals and diplomatic engagement further reinforcing the VRIC alliance in Latin America.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As the U.S. mounts increased pressure against the Maduro regime in Venezuela, Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, shore up their international support from smaller, non-aligned nations such as Abkhazia. Meanwhile, fellow ALBA members, Nicaragua and Cuba, continue to show their solidarity with the Maduro regime\u00a0in the face of mass mobilizations,\u00a0U.S. sanctions, and other measures aimed at crippling the\u00a0regime.<\/p>

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Among the ALBA nations, Bolivia is one of the few members not yet sanctioned by the U.S. President Evo Morales is capitalizing on this by strengthening his image overseas and with other South American nations, namely in Argentina and Peru. In late April, Argentine President Mauricio Macri met with Evo Morales to deepen ties on energy cooperation in the lucrative lithium industry.<\/p>

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In Peru, Bolivia is aggressively pursuing alternative access to the Pacific Ocean after the Hague\u2019s ruling earlier this year denying Bolivia sea access via Chile. China is helping Bolivia in this pursuit by investing and expanding Peru\u2019s southern port of Ilo and in other critical infrastructure projects in both countries that would facilitate quicker access to the port and the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>

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VENEZUELA AID TRACKER<\/strong><\/p>
\u00a0United States<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$76 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Argentina<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Help unit<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$39 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Chile<\/a><\/strong><\/td>17 tons of food & medical supplies<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0China<\/a><\/strong><\/td>65 tons of medicine & supplies<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0EU<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$65 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Germany<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac5 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Iran<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Unspecified pledge & medical aid<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Italy<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac2 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0New Zealand<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$500,000 dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Palestine<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Surgical team<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Russia<\/a><\/strong><\/td>335 tons of food & medical supplies<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Spain<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u20ac2 million euros<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Sweden<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$7 million dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Taiwan<\/a><\/strong><\/td>$500,000 dollars<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0Turkey<\/strong><\/td>Pledged, but none specified<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0UAE<\/a><\/strong><\/td>Dh10 million<\/td><\/tr>
\u00a0UK<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\u00a0\u00a36.5 million pounds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>