A supposedly internal memo from Venezuela's Ministry of Defense dated January 2020 reveals that Maduro's government had allocated over $400 million at the time to plan the purchase of a ballistic missile system from Iran, with funds routed through state-owned enterprises. The document also indicates that the system was originally intended to be deployed on Venezuelan Navy ship platforms. The report states that this provides more concrete written evidence for long-standing rumors about "Iran and Venezuela discussing missile deals," suggesting that the depth of their engagement may have exceeded what was previously known publicly. Meanwhile, Abrams, who previously handled Iranian and Venezuelan affairs during Trump’s first administration, said the U.S. was aware of discussions between the two sides regarding acquiring ballistic missile systems, and explicitly conveyed to Caracas that such actions were "unacceptable." As a result, Venezuela ultimately did not receive such weapons. However, the report also notes that the procurement plan never materialized, likely due to the high risk of provoking the United States and financial pressures stemming from Venezuela’s economic crisis.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862056966025291/
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