Russian Interior Minister in Cuba: Security talks amid tensions with the US
Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev began an important official visit to the Cuban capital, Havana, where he is holding a series of bilateral meetings with Cuban officials. This visit comes at a highly sensitive time, marked by an unprecedented escalation in geopolitical tensions between the Eastern Bloc and the United States in the Caribbean and Latin America.
The Russian Embassy in Havana announced that Minister Kolokoltsev arrived on Tuesday, where he was received by his Cuban counterpart, Interior Minister Alberto Álvarez, at Havana's international airport. The talks are expected to focus on strengthening security cooperation and intelligence sharing, a move observers see as a reaffirmation of Russia's continued support for the communist island in the face of increasing US pressure.
The repercussions of the Venezuelan situation and US pressure
This visit takes on particular strategic importance given the rapidly unfolding events in the region. US President Donald Trump continues his policy of "maximum pressure" on Cuba, one of the last bastions of leftist rule in Latin America. The situation has become dramatically more complex following recent developments in Venezuela, Cuba's closest ally, where US special forces arrested President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3, sending shockwaves through the corridors of power in Havana.
Cuban mobilization and readiness for war
In response to these developments, and as a precautionary measure, Cuba's National Defense Commission held an emergency meeting to assess the country's readiness for any potential military scenarios, including war. Cuban state media reported that this mobilization was in anticipation of any US action that might target the island following the overthrow of its Venezuelan ally. The Cuban leadership views recent US actions as an existential threat requiring maximum alert and the strengthening of international alliances, particularly with Moscow.
The historical depth of Russian-Cuban relations
This visit cannot be viewed in isolation from the historical context of relations between the two countries. Since the Cold War era, Cuba has been a strategic ally of Moscow in the United States' backyard. Although relations cooled somewhat after the collapse of the Soviet Union, recent years have witnessed a strong resurgence in ties between Russia and Cuba, encompassing military, economic, and technological cooperation. The Russian Interior Minister's visit underscores that Moscow continues to consider Cuba's security a key element of its strategic calculations in countering American global influence.
