Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 26 June 2019

What’s an advanced Russian warship doing in Havana harbor?

By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN came before the latest cri-
ANDREA RODRIGUEZ sis in Venezuela. Russia also
VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV sent Tu-160s and a missile
Associated Press cruiser to visit Venezuela in
HAVANA (AP) — One of 2008 amid tensions with the
the Russian navy’s most ad- U.S. after Russia’s brief war
vanced warships entered with Georgia. A pair of Tu-
Havana’s harbor Monday 160s also visited Venezuela
and docked at the port in 2013.
used until this month by U.S. ___
cruise lines. Here are some WHAT DOES THE RUSSIAN
questions and answers PRESENCE MEAN FOR
about the Admiral Gorsh- CUBA?
kov’s travels through the Russians were once the
Caribbean. most important group of
___ foreigners in Cuba, with
WHAT IS THE ADMIRAL GOR- many thousands of Soviet
SHKOV? workers and advisers col-
The Admiral Gorshkov en- laborating on projects in
tered service last year. It is fields ranging from agricul-
one of the Russian navy’s tural production to military
most advanced warships defense. That ended with
and is armed with cruise the fall of the Soviet Union,
missiles, air defense systems Russian Navy Admiral Gorshkov frigate arrives at the port of Havana, Cuba, Monday, June 24, which saw the end of the
and other weapons. The 2019. Soviet and Russian pres-
frigate is based at the Arc- Associated Press ence and the start of a gru-
tic port of Severomorsk and the ships are scheduled to Russian ships have become military power close to U.S. eling depression in Cuba
is part of Russia’s Northern make calls at several Carib- an occasional presence in shores, although neither known as the “Special Pe-
Fleet. It’s the first ship in a bean ports, without specify- Havana over the last de- Cuba nor Russian have de- riod.” That period ended
new class of frigates intend- ing which. The naval group cade. In 2008, after a visit scribed them as anything with the start of Venezue-
ed to replace aging Soviet- was greeted with a 21-gun by then Russian President other than routine. lan aid around 2000.
era destroyers to project salute from Cuban forces Dmitry Medvedev, a group Early during his presidency, Cuba also somewhat di-
power far away from Rus- stationed at the entrance of Russian ships entered Russian leader Vladimir versified its economy by
sian shores. It is accompa- to the Bay of Havana. The Cuban waters in what Cu- Putin ordered the military attracting Latin American,
nied by the multifunctional Gorshkov responded with ban media described as to shut a Soviet-era elec- European and Asian invest-
logistics vessel Elbrus, the its own salute. Russia has the first such visit since 1991. tronic surveillance outpost ment, and tourism primar-
medium sea tanker Kama not provided details about Another group visited the in Cuba and a naval base ily from Canada, Europe
and the rescue tug Nikolai the purpose of its trip, but southern city Cienfuegos in in Vietnam as he sought to and the U.S. U.S. tourism
Chiker, the Russian navy the Kremlin has moved to 2010, reportedly with a car- warm ties with the United surged in 2015 and 2016
says. bolster Russia’s military ca- go of wheat. Others visited States. Amid tensions with as the Obama administra-
___ pability amid tensions with in 2013 and in 2014. the U.S., Russian military tion loosed restrictions on
WHAT IS THE SHIP DOING IN the West following the an- In January 2015, the recon- officials talked about the travel to Cuba as part of
THE CARIBBEAN? nexation of Crimea in 2014. naissance and communi- possibility of reinstating a the opening with the com-
The navy says the Admiral The Russian armed forces cations ship Viktor Leonov presence on Cuba and in munist government. That
Gorshkov crossed through have received hundreds arrived unannounced in Vietnam. Russian warships opening included allowing
the Panama Canal into of new warplanes and doz- Havana a day before the and aircraft have periodi- cruise ships. But the Trump
the Caribbean Sea on or ens of warships in recent start of discussions between cally made forays into the administration has been
around June 18. The naval years as part of a sweeping U.S. and Cuban officials Caribbean. In a show of trying to cut off income
group has covered a dis- military modernization pro- on the reopening of diplo- power, a pair of Russian to Cuba and reduce the
tance of over 28,000 nau- gram that allowed Moscow matic relations. The Viktor nuclear-capable Tu-160 number of travelers to the
tical miles since leaving to project power abroad. Leonov returned again in strategic bombers visited island. The latest blow was
Severomorsk in February, ___ March 2018. Venezuela in December in ending cruise ship travel
with stops in China, Djibou- WHAT MESSAGE IS RUSSIA All of the Russian naval mis- what the Russian military to the island, a measure
ti, Sri Lanka and Colom- SENDING WITH THE ADMI- sions to Cuba have been described as a training that went into effect this
bia, the navy says. It says RAL GORSHKOV? seen as a projection of mission. The deployment month.q

Mexico says immigration efforts

focused on southern border

Associated Press States,” López Obrador soldiers preventing women
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Presi- said Tuesday. Mexico has and children from crossing
dent Andrés Manuel López deployed 6,500 National the Rio Grande to El Paso,
Obrador says Mexico’s Guard members in the Texas over the weekend
tightening of immigration southern part of the coun- stirred outrage in Mexico.
controls has focused “more try, plus another 15,000 sol- López Obrador said no
than anything” on regulat- diers along its northern bor- order had been issued
ing entries at its southern der in a bid to reduce the for soldiers to detain mi-

A migrant walks on a freight train on his way north, in Salto del border. “We have to avoid number of migrants travel- grants attempting to enter
Agua, Chiapas state, Mexico, Tuesday, June 25, 2019. a confrontation with the ing through its territory to the U.S. and promised an
Associated Press government of the United reach the U.S. Images of investigation.q