In 1952, during the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, Venezuelan security police apprehended and deported suspected Russian spies, which caused bitter protests back and forth between the two countries, leading to Venezuela breaking off relations with the Soviets on June 13, 1952.

[6] Following Chavez's two visits to Moscow in July and September 2008, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin arrived in Venezuela to pave the way for a third meeting within five months between their two presidents.

The former, one of Latin America's largest gold projects, was under contract to Canada's Crystallex, which had waited in vain for years for an environmental license to start mining.

[9] As a Russian flotilla, including the nuclear-powered warship Peter the Great, was on its way to the Caribbean for naval exercises with Venezuela, analysts saw the move as a geopolitical response to US support for Georgia following the 2008 South Ossetia War.

[12] In October, 2010, Chavez visited Russia where he signed a deal to build Venezuela's first nuclear power plant as well as buy $1.6 billion worth of oil assets.

[17] Maduro was re-elected for a second term in May 2018, but the result was denounced as fraudulent by most neighboring countries, the European Union, Canada and the United States.

The United States, Canada, Brazil and several Latin American countries recognized Guaidó as interim president.

[20] A month later, Russia, along with China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for new presidential elections in Venezuela.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the election contributes to the return of the intra-Venezuelan political struggle to the constitutional field that will find a peaceful exit to the ongoing crisis.

[22] In response, opposition deputies denounced that Russia looked after supporting Parra to improve its businesses in Venezuela, including to increase the Russian shareholder participation in oil contracts and other mining concessions that need the approval of the National Assembly and that it would not have with Guaidó.