Russia Turns to Cuba amid Crisis in Venezuela and Nicaragua

In early February 2019, the Russian government approved a loan for Cuba to acquire new weapons, a decision that exposes Moscow’s renewed political and military interest in the island due to the humanitarian crisis in its most active regional allies, Venezuela and Nicaragua. According to Carlos Murillo, an international relations analyst at the National University of Costa Rica, the $42-million loan denotes Russia’s increasingly scarce options for projection in Venezuela and Nicaragua. “Maduro can no longer help Cuba, which nears a ‘special period’ like that of the 1990s, when Russia withdrew its support and now Havana needs urgent assistance. It’s better to tell a ‘friend’ beforehand that they are there to help,” Murillo told Diálogo. “Moscow foresees a comeback of the Cold War, and views its military presence as strategic in this scenario.” More…