User:Espottswood

Russian Strategic Threats to the United States Via Latin America

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Overview

Cuba

In 1962 due to falling behind in the arms race, the premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, through an agreement with the Castro led Cuban government began placing strategic nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island. Due to the proximity of these weapons to the Continental United States and the ongoing Cold War, President John Kennedy was forced to implement a naval blockade of Cuba to deter the shipments of missiles. The entire length of the Cuban Missile Crisis as it was known, is portrayed in the movie Thirteen Days.

Venezuela

In early 2008 Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez began to set up economic and military ties with Russia. In July of 2008 Russian Naval ships visited Venezuela entering American waters for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States has become preoccupied with limiting the Russian influence due to Venezuela's vast amounts of natural resources. The strategic alliance between Chavez and Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev has grown even stronger within the last year including an offer made by Chavez to allow Russian Strategic Bombers to be based in Venezuela. Earlier last year, on September 11, 2008, 2 Russian Tupolev TU-160 bombers briefly landed and carried out training missions in Venezuela.

Russia

Russian and Venezualan ties can be seen as a legitimate threat to the security of the United States, just as Cuban relations with the Soviets were a threat in the 60's. During the Putin and Medvedev terms of power Venezuala has provided a safe haven and access point of operations in both North and South America. For example Russia’s covert foreign intelligence operations against America have reached cold war levels under Putin utalizing the SVR which is the former KGB. Russian agression was also seen through reactionary tactics due to the United States stance on Russian operations in Georgia. After the US attempted to provide humanitarian aid to the region via Naval vessels the Russian government shut off the supply of oil to Ukraine.