Russian soldiers go to Venezuela to protect Maduro and tension grows with the United States

In the midst of the crisis Venezuela is going through, a group of Russian mercenaries commissioned by Putin has gone to the country with orders to protect Nicolas Maduro.

A group of Russian mercenaries have settled in Venezuela in recent hours to protect Nicolás Maduro in deep crisis in the country. At least 26 people were killed in violent protests against the regime.

The Reuters news agency reported: citing 3 sources from the security sector, he says the specialists belong to the private Wagner, a paramilitary organization that has conducted similar missions in Ukraine and Syria and currently has enrollments in some African countries.

According to the English newspaper The Guardian, it is the first time that these mercenaries are deployed in the Western Hemisphere.

"The order was sent Monday to a team to visit Venezuela to ensure the protection of the highest levels of government," said Evgueni Chabaev, a Cossack leader linked to private security contractors. He added that he had heard about relatives of the "400" or so who had traveled.

The Wagner group (also known as Chastnaya Voennaya Kompaniya "Vagner", Chvk Vagner and PMC Wagner) appeared in 2014. It is headed by Dmitriy Valeryevich Utkin, a soldier of Ukrainian origin who, according to Russian media Fontanka, used the intelligence services (the GRU) and was decorated by President Vladimir Putin.
According to a report published by Bloomberg in December 2017, Wagner had some 6,000 members, mainly Russian soldiers, who left their armed forces to collect more money.

The Global Security specialist site claims to receive about $ 2,650 per month, plus a 100% bonus for completing three months of tasks.

Wagner was directly linked to Putin (it's like his "private secret army", according to various investigations), but the Kremlin "has never recognized the existence of these secret soldiers nor their own links ", says the Spanish newspaper El País.

"We have no information," Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian government, told Reuters.
In Russia, the figure of the mercenary is illegal and fighting abroad is punishable by up to 16 years imprisonment.
Putin immediately went to Maduro for help, called him on the phone and warned him of a possible "bloodbath".

The mercenary movement comes shortly after the United States has given support to opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who calls Maduro "usurper" and proclaimed Wednesday "president of the United States." charge". Among other countries in the region, Argentina immediately supported Guaidó.

In addition, the European Union met Saturday behind the position of Spain, which gave an ultimatum to the Bolivarian regime: "If in eight days the call for free and transparent elections is not called, Spain will recognize President Guaidó, "warned the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez. Then France and Germany accompanied this position.

Source: Clarín
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