The Russians are here

摘要

President Hugo Chavez has long seen his leftist "Bolivarian" revolution in Venezuela as part of a global struggle against a world-order dominated by American imperialism. So the announcement this week that the Russian navy is to conduct joint exercises with Venezuela in the Caribbean later this year is something of a diplomatic coup. It is also a worry for many Venezuelans, who would rather their country avoid big-power politics.rnThe precise dates have yet to be fixed. But Russia has confirmed that it will be sending the flagship of its Baltic fleet, the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great. In all, there will be four Russian ships, with a combined crew of 1,000, the Venezuelans say.