Several states still support Venezuela’s government in different ways, but the circle of strong, reliable backers has narrowed and much of the help is now more political than material.

Core state backers

These countries are most often described as Venezuela’s core allies, especially through the Maduro years:

  • Cuba – Long‑time strategic partner, providing security and intelligence support and receiving subsidized oil in return.
  • Nicaragua – Left‑leaning government that consistently defends Caracas diplomatically and criticizes U.S. pressure.
  • Russia – Has backed Caracas at the UN, sent limited military personnel in the past, and helped Venezuela navigate sanctions, though recent support is more cautious and mainly rhetorical.
  • China – Major lender and trade partner that has politically backed the Venezuelan government, but has scaled back riskier financial and military involvement while focusing on its own economic priorities.
  • Iran – Publicly defends Venezuelan sovereignty, has helped with fuel and technical cooperation, and criticizes U.S. sanctions and military moves against Venezuela.
  • Belarus – Offers political backing and has maintained defense and technical cooperation with Caracas for years.

Other political supporters or sympathizers

Beyond the core group, a wider set of governments and movements tend to oppose outside military action against Venezuela and frame their stance as defending sovereignty rather than endorsing any one leader.

  • Several Latin American governments periodically issue statements against foreign military intervention and in favor of negotiated solutions and respect for Venezuela’s internal political process.
  • Some non‑aligned or Global South states in forums like the UN often vote against sanctions or condemn unilateral military strikes, emphasizing the UN Charter and non‑intervention.

Changing nature of support

Support for Venezuela is not static; it shifts with events and with who is in power in Caracas and abroad.

  • Major powers such as Russia and China today lean more on symbolic and diplomatic support and less on costly military or financial commitments, partly due to their own wars, economies, or negotiations with Washington.
  • Regional stances can change quickly after elections: new governments may recognize different authorities in Caracas or move from alignment with Maduro to a more neutral, mediation‑focused role.

Why these countries support Venezuela

Different supporters have different motives, even when they end up on the same side of a U.S.–Venezuela confrontation.

  • Ideological affinity: Some governments share a left‑wing, anti‑U.S. or “Bolivarian” narrative and see Venezuela as part of a broader political project.
  • Strategic and economic interests: Others value access to oil, arms sales, influence in Latin America, or leverage in their own relations with the United States.
  • Norms and sovereignty: A number of states back Venezuela mainly in the sense of opposing regime‑change operations, sanctions, or military strikes, arguing that such tools undermine international law.

TL;DR: The clearest, long‑running state supporters of Venezuela’s government have been Cuba, Nicaragua, Russia, China, Iran, and Belarus , plus a shifting set of Global South countries that oppose sanctions and foreign military action and call for negotiated solutions rather than taking sides in Venezuela’s internal political struggle.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.