President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, has presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a replica of the sword which belonged to Venezuelan national hero Simon Bolivar.
Maduro also published a video of him giving a present to Putin.
Durante la reunión con el Presidente Vladimir Putin en el Kremlin, le entregué la réplica del sable que usó el Libertador Simón Bolívar en la Batalla de Carabobo, en agradecimiento a su respaldo a Venezuela, y por su respeto a la soberanía y autodeterminación de los pueblos. pic.twitter.com/2S9VOZOx1c
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) September 25, 2019
"During the meeting with President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, I have presented him with a replica of the sword used by liberator Simon Bolivar in the Battle of Carabobo as a token of gratitude for his support of Venezuela and respect towards sovereignty and self-determination of nations," Maduro wrote on Twitter.
The Battle of Carabobo was a decisive battle for Venezuela during its war for independence from Spain in 1821.
The Venezuelan President arrived in Moscow on Tuesday. He took to Twitter to say that "We have arrived in our Russian motherland to strengthen our historical and very positive relations and respect between our peoples..."
Maduro's visit to Russia comes amid the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela which broke out after US-backed opposition figure Juan Guaido proclaimed himself interim president at the beginning of the year.
