Left-wing groups rose up in a neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela – bastion of Chavismo – a mural in support of Russia, a nation strongly questioned by the incursion into Ukraine. On the facade you can see a Vladimir Putin smiling next to the late Hugo Chávez and, in the corner, the “Z” that has become a symbol of “victory” for those who support the invasion of the European country.
“We want to thank Russia and its president Vladimir Putin for all the support they have given us”Francisco Moreno, a member of the leftist group “Zapatista”, told AFP that together with his companions from “La Piedrita” they painted the graffiti at the entrance of a futsal field in Catia.
“It is a message of solidarity with the Russian government that has always supported us: the first vaccine we had was the Russian one, in fact my mother was vaccinated with Sputnik,” Moreno said.
Moscow has been a key ally of Venezuela since the time of Chavez and continued with the current president, Nicolás Maduro, who, shielded by this relationship, has been able to avoid international sanctions against him. In fact, Maduro himself has expressed his support for Russia during a conflict that has earned Putin widespread international rejection.
In the painting, along with the word “we will win”, A Sukhoi fighter plane is also illustrated, representing one of the military equipment agreements signed between both countries, which included Russian-made aerial systems and weapons.
Sbore the “Z” in support of Russia, Moreno specified: “They want to sell Russia as a monster, just as they want to sell Venezuela as a dictatorship”.
In a corner of the court, freshly painted, They also wave the flags of Russia and Venezuela. The inauguration, over the weekend, was attended by the Russian ambassador to Venezuela, Sergei Melik-Bagdasarov. “Thanks to the Venezuelan government and people for their solidarity!” he wrote on Twitter.
“We thanked him (the ambassador) for the support we have received in the pandemic and in the US blockade”pointed out Moreno, a fervent supporter of Chavismo, who also condemns “the boycott of Russian athletes.”
For Sayid Catanaima, a 47-year-old resident of Catia, “the mural represents the union of two sister peoples that have been whipped, we see how the Russian government defends its spaces as any country in the world would.”
There is also a mural on the court in honor of Argentine star Diego Armando Maradona, who was very close to Chavismo. “We will be stronger when we are more united. Bolivar”it reads next to the image of the deceased footballer.