Putin's government decided to evacuate the families of its ambassadors after it had previously done the same with its citizens
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Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs began evacuating the families of its diplomats in Venezuela, in a sign of growing concern about the country's stability, according to a European intelligence official who informed AP on Monday.
The measure, which began on Friday, mainly includes women and children and comes amid increased pressure from the United States against the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
According to the source, Russian officials assess the Venezuelan situation in "very bleak" terms. The move coincides with recent actions by Washington in the Caribbean, where the U.S. Coast Guard has been pursuing sanctioned oil tankers for the third consecutive day, accusing them of evading restrictions imposed on Venezuelan crude exports.
On Monday morning, more than ten vehicles with diplomatic plates were seen in front of the Russian embassy in Caracas. Although no personnel were observed entering or leaving the compound, the cars left hours later.
El régimen de Maduro se encuentra cada vez más cerca de terminarse
In parallel, the foreign minister of the Venezuelan regime, Yván Gil, reported that he held a phone conversation with the Russian foreign minister, Serguéi Lavrov, who expressed Moscow's support in the face of what Caracas describes as a "blockade" driven by U.S. President Donald Trump. Gil accused Washington of carrying out attacks on vessels, acts of piracy, and extrajudicial executions in the Caribbean.
Tensions increased after it was confirmed that the U.S. Coast Guard seized the tanker Centuries on Saturday, which sails under the Panamanian flag, following a similar operation carried out on December 10 against the ship Skipper.
Both were transporting sanctioned Venezuelan crude. U.S. authorities state that these vessels are part of Venezuela's so-called "dark fleet" used to evade international controls.
El canciller de Maduro criticó al gobierno de Trump por las acciones que lleva a cabo en el Caribe contra el narcotráfico venezolano
The U.S. campaign also includes actions against dangerous drug trafficking routes. The Department of Defense reported that since September, 28 operations have been carried out against small vessels in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific.
Trump keeps that the pressure seeks to curb drug trafficking and speed up Maduro's departure from power. In recent days, in addition, he demanded the return of assets confiscated from U.S. oil companies. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan tyranny keeps political control, despite growing international pressure and the persistent economic crisis.
