Iran and Venezuela strengthen dangerous military, economic alliance in challenge to US

Venezuela is increasingly auctioning off economic and territorial control of its troubled oil sector and vast natural resources, forging particularly close ties with Iran’s Islamist regime.

Ties between the nations were close under Venezuela’s socialist president Hugo Chavez, but strengthened further under Maduro, who has sought a lifeline from Iran’s Islamist regime.  While Venezuela enjoys what are believed to be the world’s largest petroleum deposits, years of mismanagement, corruption and maintenance issues have dramatically hampered its production and refining capabilities. David Unsworth reports on Latin America. You can follow David Unsworth on Twitter @LatinAmerUpdate

Former diplomat and current Venezuelan political dissident Isaias Medina views the alliance as a clear and present threat to the United States: "In my opinion, the countries of the Axis of Evil are increasing their presence on Venezuelan territory to strengthen their state policy of pursuing de facto control of a government that is based on asymmetric warfare against the West…this is where the interests of Venezuela-Iran -China-Russia-Cuba align." Medina quit his position with the Venezuelan mission to the UN where he served in a senior position over Maduro's policies.

Geopolitical analysts have noted that the Maduro regime is now pursuing a policy which offers economic and territorial control to rogue states in exchange for access to its vast resources, including petroleum, gold and potentially even uranium.