American bloc condemns Russian bombers in Venezuela

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW

The Organization of American States (OAS) on Wednesday expressed concern over the arrival of Russian military planes in Venezuela.

Two Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons landed in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Monday for joint military trainings.

The OAS said in a statement that such actions violate the Venezuelan constitution and are harmful for the sovereignty of the country.

It added the presence of such aircraft violate the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America.

The situation in Venezuela has been unstable since the death of former President Hugo Chavez in 2013.

The West has accused his successor Nicolas Maduro of usurping power, a charge he denies.

Instead, Maduro accuses the U.S. of a botched assassination attempt on him at his inauguration ceremony in August 2018.

Russia is interested in deploying its military infrastructure in Latin America, close to the U.S. borders, as Washington continues sending military advisers and weapons to Ukraine, Moscow's arch-rival.