Maduro Hails Iran, Russia, China and Cuba as True Friends of Venezuela

By Staff, Agencies

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described Iran, Russia, China, and Cuba as true friends of the South American country.

"Humanitarian aid is coming from China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba. They are [Venezuela’s] true friends," Maduro said in a Sunday speech broadcast by the state TV.

He recalled that the US offered $20 million worth of help to Venezuela, but not a single dollar came through.

The remarks came after Venezuela recently received five shipments of fuel from Iran in the face of US sanctions.

The Latin American country sits on the world’s largest oil reserves. Its refineries also can produce more than 1.3 million barrels per day of fuel, but they are working at less than 20% of their capacity mainly due to power outages and lack of spare parts amid US sanctions.