Iran Increases Military Presence In Venezuela With Drone Factory As Maduro Claims New Term In Office Despite Condemnation

Iran is increasing its military presence in Venezuela, with officials and personnel, with some members of the country's elite acquiring properties in the Latin American country and being offered political asylum should they eventually need it. The presence comes amid regional conflict in the Middle East as well as increased electoral tension in Venezuela.

The relationship between the two countries has grown over the years, Infobae has detailed, with Iran having established a drone development base at the El Libertador air base in Venezuela, where training for Venezuelan military personnel is also carried out. That project includes the production and training in the use of a wide range of unnamed aerial vehicles (UAV).

Among them are the ZAMORA V-1 (Shahed-131), used for one-way attack missions. That and other drones represent a significant technological advance in Venezuela's military capacity, with the direct support of Tehran, the outlet explains.

But drone development is not the only involvement from Iran in the region, as the country is also looking to sell them to other countries in the region, a practice that could destabilize the geopolitical landscape in Latin America, the Argentinian news outlet reports.

Furthermore, the collaboration between the two countries spans far beyond military activity. They have also sought to strengthen economic ties between them. Among the joint economic activities, the use of Mahan Air for direct flights between Caracas and Tehran stands out. These flights have reportedly been used to transfer Venezuelan gold in exchange for Iranian oil, in a scheme that violates international sanctions imposed on both countries, according to Infobae.

Reports of the two countries' relationship comes as they deal with their own troubles at home.

In Iran, the economy has been crippled by a mix of bad management, corruption and existing sanctions. Power shortages have also shut down government offices, schools and universities and disrupted production at dozens of manufacturing plants. At the same time, Iran's military threat has been blunted by Israel's battering of allies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the now-collapsed Assad regime in Syria and much of Iran's air defense.

Meanwhile in Venezuela, as diaspora fueled by economic and humanitarian crises continue, Nicolas Maduro has claimed a new term in office despite widespread condemnation from the international community, which has sided with the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who presented ballots to support their claim to victory.