Vladimir Putin's alleged 'man in South America', set to invade a tiny neighbour, is a Salt Bae fan who has dodged Rambo assassins in his role of President of Venezuela.
Nicolás Maduro, 61, a former bus driver-turned-president has run the South American nation with an iron fist, and almost run it into the ground. And with economic turmoil not abating, it appeats that Maduro is set to take his claims on the Essequibo region to the next step as his troops organise themselves on the border with Guyana.
Guyana has called the military buildup as a "pretext for annexation", and it comes after oil was discovered in the region.
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The move shifts the focus back onto the lifestyle of the burly 6'3 dictator, who rather suspiciously became ridiculously wealthy as people in his country even resorted to literally selling their hair for use in wigs and extensions to fund their next meal.
His fortune is estimated at £220million, according to The Sun. Much, if not all, of this was ammassed after his ascension to the top political seat in Venezuela after his narrow election win in March 2013.
In 2018 he sparked outrage as his people "suffered and died of hunger" he was pictured puffing a cigar and posing with celebrity chef Salt Bae in his expensive Istanbul restaurant.
"This is a once in a lifetime moment," the president said. His presedential opponent and opposition leader Julio Borges took a different view.
He said: "While Venezuelans suffer and die of hunger, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores have a good time in one of the most expensive restaurants in the world, all with money stolen from the Venezuelan people."
Maduro is said to live in a sprawling estate in Caracas with its own bowling alley, swimming pools, lakes and restaurants.
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Russia describes Venezuela as a key Russian partner in Latin America so naturally Maduro is in bed with the equally oil-mad Russian President Vladimir Putin. He is even described as 'Putin's man in South America'.
Reports suggest that Russian companies are seeking to invest more in the South American country, and Maduro is expected to visit Putin before the end of the year.
Russian companies, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said, have expressed an interest in modernising and building energy facilities, transportation equipment and helping to digitalise the oil and gas sector of Venezuela.
But all this posturing comes at a cost for Maduro. In 2020, American Green Berets Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were arrested in alongside 11 Venezuelans following a foiled attempt to overthrow the president.
The Mail Online described the mission as "a poor impression of the Bay of Pigs that left six Venezuelans dead".
After the operation, Maduro said: "The United States government is fully and completely involved in this defeated raid.
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"They were playing Rambo. They were playing hero."
The two Americans were jailed after being sentenced to 20 years in Venezuela and efforts to get them home remain ongoing, despite a cold relationship between Maduro and the US.
In 2018 Maduro even survived an attack by drones purchased online and armed by hand with military grade explosives.
One man has come forward as an organizser of the failed attack, saying it was perpetrated by a group of Venezuelan Army defectors and others.
He told CNN: "We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy. We have friends who are in custody, tortured. This was a hard decision."
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