Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro could be forgiven for wondering who his true friends are. Once considered rock-solid, his reliance on China and Russia now appears increasingly uncertain.
For years, both nations provided robust political, financial, and military backing—a legacy from his predecessor Hugo Chávez. But as the U.S. escalates pressure, that support has grown largely symbolic, with statements of solidarity replacing concrete military or economic aid.
The shift comes amid a significant U.S. military build-up in the Caribbean, including a nuclear-powered submarine, surveillance aircraft, and 15,000 troops.
Washington has also conducted strikes on boats it alleges were smuggling drugs—killing more than 80 people—and recently seized a Venezuelan oil tanker.
While the Trump administration frames these actions as counter-narcotics measures, many analysts, and Maduro himself, see them as part of a broader push for regime change.
This leaves Maduro at a precarious moment. As Washington turns up the heat, the tangible support from Caracas’s two most powerful international partners has noticeably cooled, raising a critical question: in his hour of greatest need, can he still count on Moscow and Beijing?
By James Kisoo
