WASHINGTON — A new U.S. congressional research publication is drawing renewed attention to the depth of Venezuela’s strategic relationship with China, describing extensive military, economic and financial linkages that Washington views as a growing regional security concern, while also underscoring the long-standing role of Cuban security support inside Venezuela.
The document, published by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC), outlines how Beijing expanded its engagement with Caracas over more than two decades, combining large-scale financing and energy ties with military cooperation and technology transfer. The USCC notes that Venezuela has been the largest buyer of Chinese weapons in Latin America, with purchases dating back to the mid-2000s and including a range of military systems.
One of the most sensitive findings concerns Chinese-built satellite ground infrastructure in Venezuela. The USCC says China constructed two satellite ground stations—the El Sombrero facility and a backup station in Luepa—used for telemetry, tracking and command of a Venezuelan civilian satellite. The commission adds that at least one Chinese technician has claimed Beijing can remotely access these facilities, and warns that such access could have strategic value for China’s space operations in a conflict scenario.
Beyond technology, the report frames the China–Venezuela relationship as one of deep financial and geopolitical dependence, shaped by loans, oil-linked arrangements, and sanctions-era trade adaptations. Recent international reporting has also linked U.S. policy moves toward Venezuela to broader concerns in Washington about limiting China’s footprint in the Western Hemisphere.
The same broader security picture includes Cuba’s role in Venezuela’s internal security apparatus. A separate U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) overview of U.S.-Venezuela relations states that Cuba has provided military and intelligence support to the Chávez and later Maduro governments in exchange for subsidized oil, and that Cuban intelligence support has been seen as influential within Venezuela’s security structures.
In the wake of the January 2026 upheaval in Venezuela, the scale of Cuban presence has again become a focal point internationally. Reuters reported this week that Cuba held a national mourning ceremony for 32 of its soldiers killed during the U.S. operation in Venezuela, describing them as members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence services.
For Curaçao and the wider Caribbean, the discussion resonates as regional governments and security services monitor how major-power competition—particularly U.S.-China tensions—intersects with narcotics trafficking routes, maritime security, and the stability of neighboring states. The congressional research adds to a growing body of analysis portraying Venezuela not only as an energy state in crisis, but also as a strategic arena where external actors have established long-term footholds with implications for the region.