Venezuela sought assistance from Russia, China, and Iran, according to the Washington Post.
The American newspaper claimed in a report on Friday night that Venezuela has asked the three countries for defense radars, aircraft repairs and possibly missiles.
The report added that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his request in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The letter was to be delivered to the Kremlin during a visit to Moscow by a senior Maduro aide in October.
Internal US government documents claim that Maduro also wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for “expanding military cooperation” to counter “escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.”
The Washington Post added that Maduro asked the Chinese government in the letter to accelerate the production of radar tracking systems by Chinese companies so that Venezuela can strengthen its capabilities.
The newspaper claimed, citing US documents, that Venezuelan Transport Minister Ramon Celestino Velasquez asked Iran for tracking equipment, positioning systems and drones with a range of 1,000 kilometers.
The documents state: Maduro stressed the seriousness of a possible US invasion in the Caribbean and considered the US military action against Venezuela as an action against China due to their shared ideology.
According to the Washington Post, the documents do not specify what response Russia, China and Iran have given to Venezuela.
The American newspaper “Miami Herald” reported on Friday, citing informed sources who asked not to be named, that the US has decided to attack positions inside Venezuela and that the planning for these attacks has been done and may begin within the next few days or even hours.
In response to this report, and despite Washington’s extensive military presence in the Caribbean Sea and CIA activities in Venezuela, US President Donald Trump announced that a military attack on Venezuela is not on the agenda.
In recent weeks, a series of US military attacks have led to the sinking of vessels that the White House said were carrying drugs from Venezuela. When asked if the attacks might also target mainland Venezuela in the future, Trump replied: “I don’t want to tell you exactly.”
Tensions between Washington and Caracas are increasingly escalating over the deployment of US troops in the Caribbean, and according to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his American counterpart, with his alleged “war on drugs,” the South American country is facing “the greatest continental threat in a century” and has recently announced the possibility of a ground invasion of Venezuela.