Moscow, Beijing and Tehran arrive at the “door” of the USA
Iran, Russia and China are preparing to hold a series of military exercises in Latin America in a show of force intended to mark the start of a joint military build-up against NATO and, in particular, the US.
Venezuela, under the leadership of anti-US socialist President Nicolas Maduro, is scheduled to host the military exercises in mid-August, according to a report by the Center for a Secure Free Society, a think tank that monitors “malign” (to US interests) regimes .
Along with 10 other nations, Russia, China and Iran will move their military forces to the Western Hemisphere for military exercises that will “intent militarily in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The war games, known as the Sniper Frontier competition, show countries that feel threatened by the US coming together and “preparing to make a resounding statement that the region is ready to embrace multipolar power,” according to the think-tank’s report. which focuses on Latin America’s embrace of “authoritarian regimes”.
The military drills are one of the strongest signs yet that a coalition of Latin American countries is turning against the US and working to strengthen ties with Russia, China and Iran.
Maduro recently completed a diplomatic tour of the Middle East in which he signed a 20-year strategic agreement with Iran that laid the groundwork for an Iranian tanker to dock in Venezuela and offload Tehran’s crude oil.
“The strategic agreement between Iran and Venezuela is intended to replicate similar strategic agreements the Islamic Republic has signed with China and Russia in recent years,” according to the think-tank’s report. Latin American regimes are also entering into military agreements with Russia.
There are also signs that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the country’s paramilitary fighting force, is strengthening its presence in Latin America.
In early June, a Venezuelan transport plane flying in the region was “discovered to have members of the Qods Force, Iran’s elite revolutionary guard unit, on board,” according to the think-tank’s report.
“Gholamreza Ghasemi, a known arms dealer for the IRGC and director of Qeshm Fars Air, was piloting the Boeing 747-300M that returned to Buenos Aires along with 4 other Iranians and 14 Venezuelans,” the Americans say.
After the plane landed, “documents and electronics were seized by Argentine authorities, who discovered images of IRGC tanks, missiles and other weapon systems in mobile storage units,” suggesting a larger Iranian-backed plan was unfolding . in the area.
Ghasemi reportedly made at least 13 trips from Iran to Venezuela over the past year and a half, and red flags were raised by the FBI and the Israeli government.
As Iran and Venezuela increase their military and economic ties, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega — an ally of Venezuela’s Maduro — renewed a military deal with Russia “authorizing Russian troops, planes and ships to patrol the Central country’s borders.” America and conduct joint military exercises,” according to the report.
The military deal was signed amid Russia’s war with Ukraine, indicating that a presence in Latin America remains a priority for Moscow, even as it faces pressure on its borders.
Russia is conducting covert espionage operations in Latin America.
An accused Russian GRU agent was recently arrested trying to gain access to the International Criminal Court. The spy “cultivated his cover as a Brazilian national for years and may not have been working alone,” according to the think-tank’s report.
China has also been active in the region, although these efforts have received little media attention.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month signed several economic deals in Latin America, holding talks in Uruguay, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a program to increase the global footprint of the Chinese Communist Party, has reached Argentina, where it is working to build infrastructure projects.
“As Russia seeks to delegitimize the international financial system,” the think tank noted, “China signed an agreement with a Swiss-based bank to create a yuan reserve currency along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Chile. to offset the US dollar’.
