Diplomatic Tension Between the United States, Venezuela and Bolivia: What are Moscow’s Roles Behind the Scene?

In the most recent diplomatic confrontations between Washington and Caracas, President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has once again shifted gears by expelling the United States Ambassador to Venezuela. Bolivia took a similar line of action against the US Ambassador. On the same token, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya has also refused to accept credentials of the New US Ambassador in what he called solidarity to President Morales of Bolivia.

Washington responded by expelling the envoys of Venezuela and Bolivia and freezing the assets of three senior Venezuelan aides. Interestingly, all these happened at a time when two Russian military fighter bombers are busy plying Venezuelan airspace in what is regarded as - a military training exercise between Russian and Venezuelan forces.

Venezuela has for the past decade been involved in a bitter war of words with Washington, in what President Hugo Chavez calls a ‘challenge to American domination and the unfair liberal market principles imposed upon developing nations.’ The military turned elected autocrat has since then led a global campaign against US domination and leadership of the world.

Known for his tirades against Washington, President Hugo Chavez extensively traveled the five continents in his quest of challenging American influence and leadership across the globe. Over the years, he has also suspended American and numerous other foreign oil companies from working on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves through programs of nationalization.

In another development, it has also been reported that even the President of the tiny West African nation of The Gambia, who is an ally of President Chavez, has threatened to expel both the United States and British Ambassadors – the manifestation of a growing Russian and Venezuelan orchestrated anti – western resentment.

What is even more troubling during such diplomatic tensions, was the presence of two Russian military aircrafts in Venezuela. Although reports indicated that Russian forces are involved in a joint military training exercise with the Venezuelan army, the timing of the maneuvers with the eventual shift of Russia’s foreign policy are what raises many concerns.

It could be recalled that Russia was strongly opposed to America’s missile defense pact with both Czecklosvakia and Ukraine. Moscow’s outrage against the US missile defense system together with American and western allies backing of an independent Kosovo are what many analysts contend as the vehicle behind Russia’s latest foreign policy behavior in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and currently Venezuela.

What are the Kremlin’s intentions in Venezuela? Is there the potential for a Russian missile system targeting the US to be built on Venezuelan territory in retaliation?

These are some of the questions many global political scholars and analysts continue to ponder.

In responding to the aforementioned questions, it is important to note that although Russian power has diminished since the collapse of the former United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), Moscow still have the potential of opening up a crisis similar to the Cuban missile crisis of the cold war era. This is so because both Venezuela and Cuba remains to be close allies of the Kremlin.

In spite of having the world’s best missile and nuclear defense systems, Washington may still be concerned about Moscow’s military activities closer to her gates. A potential Russian missile system targeting the United States from Venezuelan territory may further escalate the already fragile US – Venezuela and US – Russia relations.

The United Nations, the European Union and the Africa Union must therefore play a proactive role in averting any further escalation of the crisis. China, Brazil and South Africa may certainly play a leading role in using diplomacy to breech the already volatile diplomatic tension.

Will Washington and her NATO allies mutely watch missiles pointing to the territory of member states? This is the very good question many analysts continue to ponder?

What is however certain, is that, in an era were national security has become the highest agenda of the global political landscape, in a crisis were Moscow’s role behind the scenes in Venezuela is yet to be known, a failure to contain the already fragile US – Venezuela/ US – Russia relation through diplomatic means, may eventually open the gateway to a military confrontation between the US, Venezuela and Russia. NATO may certainly be drawn in to any such potential confrontation. Only time will therefore tell how the eventual situation unfolds.

The author is the editorial editor of http://Senegambianews.com/ . He also publishes The Sword of Truth at http://sofawarrior.blog.com/. He could be reached at binneh@senegambianews.com or bsm235@nyu.edu.