(CBS News) – Venezuela is not going to become “another Syria” for Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a state-backed Russian newspaper in an interview published this week. “We have nothing to hide,” he said in response to a question about what Russian troops are doing in the once wealthy South American nation. Two military planes carrying about 100 Russian personnel arrived in Caracas last week. The influx, which U.S. officials have told CBS News was unusual for its size, has fuelled tensions
between Russia and the U.S. that were sparked earlier this year as the two countries picked opposing sides in Venezuela’s debilitating political crisis. The U.S., along with dozens of other countries, has thrown its support behind Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. The former leader of the National Assembly has declared himself the country’s interim president and labeled President Nicolas Maduro a “usurper” following re-election widely deemed undemocratic. Moscow, however, insists Maduro is still the country’s legitimate leader. READ MORE
