Two Russian planes with 100 troops landed in Venezuela this weekend, Reuters reports , citing media reports and flight tracking websites. The move is the latest signal of strengthening ties between Caracas and Moscow amid growing pressure on the Maduro government from Washington. It also comes three months after the Venezuelan and Russian army conducted joint military exercises in Venezuela. At the time, the U.S. government slammed the exercises as Russian “encroachment” in South America. An explanation for the presence of the troops came from Russian state-owned news outlet Sputnik, which cited a source as saying, “Russia has various contracts that are in the process of being fulfilled, contracts of a technical military character.” The news, however, will no doubt spark a reaction from Washington as the Venezuelan crisis continues with no resolution in sight despite the increasing pressure that the United States is piling up on the government […]