Russia has begun evacuating its citizens from Venezuela, a sudden move that analysts say signals a major shift in Moscow's stance toward dictator Nicolás Maduro's embattled regime — and comes as U.S. military pressure on Caracas steadily intensifies, La Derecha Diario reported.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia confirmed that flights are being organized to remove Russians from Venezuela.
The announcement, circulated widely by Russian media, sparked immediate speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for instability or distancing itself from Maduro after years of backing the socialist strongman.
The evacuation order comes at an unusual moment. Russian tourism to Venezuela has surged this year, with more than 6,000 Russians visiting Margarita Island between August and November on direct charter flights from Moscow.
That growth had suggested that Russia-Venezuela ties remained strong. Instead, the abrupt pullback has been viewed as a warning sign — one that highlights the regime's growing fragility, according to the report.
The backdrop to Moscow's decision is a sharp rise in tensions between Caracas and Washington.
The Trump administration has expanded maritime and air surveillance around Venezuela, strengthened joint security operations with Colombia and Guyana, and signaled that it will respond aggressively to any Venezuelan military provocation in the region.
The United States has also increased pressure on Maduro's government over its harboring of criminal and terrorist networks, its close alignment with Iran, and its threats against Guyana in the long-running territorial dispute over the Essequibo region.
Pentagon officials have warned that any Venezuelan escalation would trigger a U.S. response, contributing to a growing sense of volatility in that country.
Recent restrictions on Venezuelan airspace — implemented after tensions with Washington escalated — forced several Russian tour operators, including Pegas Touristik, to cancel or reroute flights to Cuba. Those disruptions further rattled Russian travelers and were a precursor to the broader evacuation effort now underway, the report said.
Public reaction in Venezuela has been swift. Some citizens question whether the evacuation is real; others see it as a sign that Moscow is bracing for political upheaval or preparing to loosen its longtime support for Maduro, according to the report.
Reports circulating on social media suggest the flights could include not only tourists but also Russian officials, businesspeople, and those linked to joint commercial ventures who no longer feel safe amid rising instability.
The tour operators association has not disclosed how many Russians will be evacuated, which cities they will depart from, or the flights' final destinations — a lack of clarity that has fueled speculation and left the Maduro government in an awkward spotlight.
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