Russia and Venezuela maintain extensive cooperation at various levels. Photo: social media.
Guacamaya, August 12, 2025. On August 8, a Venezuelan court authorized the extradition of Leonid Zakamaldin, a blogger and activist originally from Chelyabinsk, Russia, who is accused in his home country of treason and incitement to extremism. His defense team, which announced it will appeal the decision, has also begun procedures to request political asylum in Venezuela.
Zakamaldin, who left Russia in 2014 to move to Ukraine and later settled in Venezuela, is known for an Instagram blog dedicated to the lives of two rescued otters in Bali, where he also expressed his opposition to the war and promoted campaigns in support of Ukrainian organizations. Russian authorities have included him in Rosfinmonitoring’s list of terrorists and extremists, as well as in the Interior Ministry’s wanted persons list.
In Ukraine, he lost his residence permit following the Russian invasion in 2022 and relocated to Caracas, where he was arrested in 2024 by immigration services at Moscow’s request. His defense lawyer, Numa Rojas, has stated that the case raises legal questions and hopes higher courts will reconsider the decision.
In statements to the publication Vot Tak, Zakamaldin claimed that the court faced “unprecedented pressure” from Russia and the prosecution. In June 2025, Attorney General Tarek William Saab confirmed that Venezuela had received four extradition requests from Russia, one of them linked to this case. The Venezuelan government has repeatedly denied receiving any external pressure while maintaining close cooperation with the Russian Federation at various levels.
