Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said yesterday that Russian warships will soon reach his country's Caribbean coast for joint naval exercises.
Chavez said the Russian ships "will enter Venezuelan waters within a matter of hours." He didn't say exactly when the ships are to arrive.
It's the first such deployment by the Russian navy in the Caribbean since the Cold War. Russia is sending the nuclear-powered cruiser Peter the Great, the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko, and logistical vessels including a tugboat and a supply ship.
The Russian navy said the two warships will visit the Venezuelan port of La Guaira tomorrow, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. It said the ships are scheduled to hold joint exercises with Venezuela's navy starting December 1.
Chavez is also expecting a visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev starting on Wednesday as part of a Latin American tour.
Meanwhile, Venezuelans voted yesterday in state elections that test Chavez's grip after a decade in power as he seeks to renew his drive toward socialism.
Although popular with the poor, Chavez lost a referendum vote on a major constitutional overhaul last year and needs his allies to score clear victories.-AP
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