For years, Russia, Iran, and China have supported Venezuela financially, politically, and militarily. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro depends strongly on these three countries for military aid. The United States has recently ordered “a total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and going out of Venezuela.
The recent tensions have ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Maduro. The conflict escalated after the deployment of the US military in the region and over two dozen military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, which have killed over 80 civilians.
Who supplies weapons to Venezuela?
There are countless examples of the ‘arming the adversary’ strategy followed in international geopolitics. For instance, Russia, a key military-technical partner of Venezuela, has been arming the country to counter the US arms supply to Ukraine.
Russia: Russian Su-30MK2 fighter jets are said to be the backbone of the Venezuelan Air Force. Additionally, the supply of several S-300VM (Antey-2500) battalions, Pantsir-S1, and Buk-M2E systems has strengthened the country’s ability to defend its facilities from air strikes. The Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter also arrived in Caracas on October 26.
Amid a growing US military threat, Maduro had requested the refurbishment of Su-30 fighter jets, the delivery of 14 new missile batteries, and the repair of the radar system.
China: China’s ties with Venezuela are no great surprise. Over the years, Beijing has bought around 268,000 barrels of oil from Venezuela, while the latter has purchased armored vehicles (VN-4), K-8 trainer jets, C-802 anti-ship missiles, and radar systems from China.
Iran: Iran and Venezuela also have a long history of military cooperation. Iran, a country with the most advanced drone system, has transferred the technology to Venezuela as early as the 2000s. Petkaap III fast attack boat, CM-90 anti-ship missiles, GPS jammers, and passive detection systems are the most visible aspects of Venezuela’s ties with Iran.
According to SIPRI data, Venezuela imported approximately $98 million worth of weapons in 2023, but economic crisis and sanctions have reduced purchases.
Can Venezuela compete with the United States?
The Venezuelan military is heavily outmatched by the US armed forces and weakened by poor training, stagnant wages, etc, Reuters reported. In the Global Firepower 2025 ranking, the US secures the number 1 position, while Venezuela ranks 50th. According to reports, the American military is advanced and experienced in global operations, while the Venezuelan military is outdated and suffers from a lack of maintenance.
Will Russia and China step in support of Venezuela?
in a phone call, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil that Beijing and Caracas are strategic partners and their mutual trust reflects a tradition of bilateral ties, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement on Wednesday. While analysts say that backing now seems to be largely symbolic, Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently reaffirmed support for Venezuela in a call with Nicolas Maduro.
