Maduro's Allies May Be Loud, But They're Quietly Backing Away

On Monday, several media outlets reported that Russia's Foreign Ministry was quietly evacuating the families of diplomats from Venezuela: "More than 10 vehicles bearing diplomatic license plates stood outside Russia's embassy in Caracas Monday morning... the vehicles had departed by early afternoon."  The evacuations reportedly began late last week, and a European intelligence source told the Associated Press that Russian officials spoke in "very grim tones" about the future of their relationship with the illegitimate narco-terrorist "leader" Nicolás Maduro.

Of course, the Russian Foreign Ministry denied it, calling it a "lie" and warning people to "Be careful and don't fall for Western provocations!"

❗️Reports by Associated Press regarding alleged 'evacuation' of the Russian Embassy in Venezuela @EmbajadaRusaVen are simply put — A LIE.

Be careful and don't fall for Western provocations! pic.twitter.com/bZVfFrQBT8

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) December 22, 2025

Russia has doubled down on pledging its support for Maduro, and it has been especially mouthy about it since Donald Trump announced that we were seizing oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast and would continue to do so. Last week, Russia warned the Trump administration to "not make a fatal mistake" and do something that would cause "unpredictable consequences for the entire Western Hemisphere."  I guess welcoming democracy and fighting organized crime and government corruption is considered "unpredictable" in Moscow, but I digress.    

However, while Russia is talking the talk, it's not doing much else and probably won't. It's too focused on its own backyard war. On Friday, a reporter asked Marco Rubio if he was afraid of any sort of escalation with Russia, and he more or less laughed it off. 

"Yeah, we’re not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela," he said. "I mean, we’ve always expected them to provide rhetorical support for the Maduro regime. I think they have their hands full in Ukraine... but at the end of the day, I expected them to say what they were going to say. The rhetorical support... it’s not a factor in how we consider this whole thing."   

When it comes to the blockade of oil tankers, China has more to lose. Around 80%, give or take, of Venezuela's oil goes to the CCP. On Monday, the Chinese called the seizures a "serious violation of international law" and carried on about the South American nation's sovereignty. But beyond diplomatic and verbal support, it's not offering up much else. Venezuela already owes China a ton of money, plus, thanks to Trump, it's more focused on stabilizing trade with the United States than propping up a deadbeat like Maduro, whose days are obviously numbered.    

There's also the fact that China has a lot of other problems, especially in Latin America. As one of my favorite journalists, Arturo McFields, wrote last week, "It has been a very bad 2025 for China. And Beijing is especially frustrated and furious over the radical geopolitical changes in Latin America. The return of President Trump has reduced and reversed China’s powerful influence in the region. Many of its partners have moved to the right, strengthening alliances with the U.S. and pursuing closer ties with Taiwan."  

He goes on to cite examples like China losing influence over the Panama Canal, the United States wishing to promote Peru as a "main non-NATO ally," and Argentina's decision to buy U.S. F-16s instead of Beijing’s JF-17 fighter jets. Those are just a few of many, and even more blows are expected next year as more right-wing presidents take office and implement their pro-U.S. and/or Taiwan agendas in countries like Bolivia and Chile. 

These countries aren't just making deals with the United States — they're pledging support for any actions we take against Maduro. Over the weekend, at the Mercosur summit in Brazil, Argentina's President Javier Milei and Panama's President José Raúl Mulino both showed clear support for Trump's actions against Maduro.  

"The atrocious and inhumane dictatorship of narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro casts a dark shadow over our region. This danger and this shame cannot continue to exist on the continent, or it will drag us all down with it," Milei said. "Argentina welcomes the pressure from the United States and Donald Trump to liberate the Venezuelan people. The time for a timid approach on this matter is over. We also urge all other members of the bloc to support this position and unequivocally condemn this authoritarian experiment."   

That pressure from the United States isn't letting up anytime soon. As Trump said yesterday, "[Maduro] can do whatever he wants. It's alright. Whatever he wants to do... if he plays tough, it'll be the last time he's ever able to play tough."  

.@POTUS on Maduro: "We have a massive armada formed, the biggest we've ever had... He could do whatever he wants, it's alright... If he plays tough, it'll be the last time he's ever able to play tough." pic.twitter.com/q2svcVjcNy

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) December 22, 2025

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