Russia opens weapons factory in Venezuela.
The goal is to produce 70 million cartridges for the AK-103 rifle, known as the Kalashnikov.
Lorenzo Santiago, Brazil of Fact - The Russian state-owned company Rostec inaugurated the first weapons production factory in Venezuela. The goal is to produce 70 million cartridges for the AK-103 rifle, known as the Kalashnikov, this year. The move expands military cooperation between the countries and demonstrates a growing rapprochement between the Russian and Venezuelan armies at a time of threats to Caracas and Moscow.
Initially, two plants are operating to assemble ammunition with a steel core, and two others are dedicated to the production of tracer projectiles and blank cartridges for 7,62×39 mm caliber ammunition. The goal is to open more plants that produce their own rifles in Venezuela.
“We plan to commission other production facilities soon to provide the complete production cycle of Kalashnikov assault rifles and cartridges in Venezuela for the army, police, and other public security agencies. This is an important step in developing technological cooperation with our main partner in Latin America,” said Oleg Yevtushenko, director of Rostec.
The last sentence is crucial in this process. Venezuela is currently one of the main buyers of Russian weapons in the world and the largest customer of Russian military products in South America.
This trade relationship was built by former President Hugo Chávez. He completely changed the weaponry of the Venezuelan armed forces, which was previously American. Over the last 20 years, the entire Venezuelan military apparatus has become Russian.
Caracas' objective was to reduce US dependence on the military sector at a time when the White House was attacking the Chavista governments.
The new factory was also conceived by Chávez in 2005, but only came to fruition 20 years later. The entire industrial complex is located in Maracay, within the Venezuelan Military Industries Company (Cavim). The structure also includes other complementary facilities, such as shooting ranges and warehouses for storing production.
The structure was built by Rosoboronexport, the state agency responsible for exports from the Russian military-industrial complex.
strategic alliance
For the Venezuelan military, the factory follows a win-win logic. From Caracas' perspective, the main benefits are the expansion of its defense capabilities and the increasing modernization of its equipment. For the Russians, the main advantage is closer ties with a loyal customer and a strategic ally in the region.
When Chávez was planning the construction of this factory in 2005, Venezuela had already become the largest buyer of Russian weapons in Latin America. From then on, this commercial relationship grew even more. In that year, the two countries already had military contracts signed worth US$11 billion (R$62 billion) and were negotiating another US$2 billion (R$124 billion), according to the Russian state-owned company Rostec.
Despite the blockade, Russia sent two TU-160 fighter jets to Venezuela in 2018 and, in 2019, inaugurated a military helicopter training and maintenance center in the country. As part of a military cooperation project, Russia also inaugurated a flight simulation center for SU-M30 aircraft that same year, where Venezuelan pilots can train to operate these fighter jets.
This military cooperation has strengthened even further in recent months. In July 2024, the Russians sent military ships for a 4-day visit to the South American country. The objective was to deepen the “military-technical cooperation” between the two countries, according to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.
The incorporation of Russian equipment into the Venezuelan defense system includes Sukhoi fighter jets, helicopters, and armored vehicles, in addition to armored vehicles and conventional weapons such as pistols and rifles.
Against sanctions
According to the Russian agency, this project represents a challenge to the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union against both countries. Rostec's CEO, Sergei Chemezov, was sanctioned by the United States and denounced in 2019 that Washington was interfering in the construction of the Kalashnikov factory in Caracas.
The partnership between Venezuela and Russia is increasingly evolving into a military alliance. In May, Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Vladimir Putin signed a series of agreements to develop a "strategic alliance." One of the points is cooperation in developing strategies to combat terrorism and fascism.
Henry Navas Nieves, head of the Master's program in Military History at the Bolivarian Military University of Venezuela, states that militarism is important in the relationship between the two countries, especially given the context of external threats that Caracas and Moscow are experiencing.
“The military aspect is fundamental, because we suffer attempted attacks that are repeatedly denounced with the objective of overthrowing the government. For this reason, we need to modernize our weapons system as a deterrent to these attacks, especially the threats from the US. The White House has already intervened in attacks on Israel and has been financing Ukraine for three years. We understand that US imperialism has been making this move here, mainly with the Essequibo issue,” he told Brasil de Fato.
This shared threat represents, for Navas, the first point of political affinity between the two countries. The second point is the interest in expanding relations with partners who can benefit the economies of both countries. These elements have created a political rapprochement that has elevated the relationship between Russia and Venezuela to the highest level of diplomatic relations.
“This is not the first time Russia has supported Venezuela. They have taken a strong stance and have always responded when Venezuela has asked. In fact, much more so than the countries in the region, which have been very lukewarm in confronting the attacks we have suffered. From the region, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Bolivia defended us,” said Navas.
This is the second Rostec project announced in Venezuela in four months. In March, the Russian state-owned company announced the creation of a training center in Venezuela for the Russian airline reservation system Leonardo. This was the company's first project related to aviation issues in Latin America. The work would be carried out in conjunction with the Venezuelan state-owned company Conviasa. The system automates the operational processes of airlines.
