During the past eight years there was a lot of 'shifting.'

The Bush/Cheney 'mouths' were aggressive without the ability to back it up. They were 'contained' between the electorate of the USA and the two wars they were waging. The world literally 'tread water' in fear of 'tipping' any balance and beginning a nuclear aggression by the USA White House. During the entire time, Russia hosted the global concerns and sponsored networking to assist countries in the 'line of sight' of Bush's hideous ego. In other words, Russia was throwing a 'body block' to the Bush and Cheney Nuclear Threat.

...Nicaragua and Cuba belong to the 18-nation PetroCaribe alliance created by Chavez in 2005 that groups OPEC member Venezuela with oil-importing Caribbean and Central America states, allowing them to buy Venezuelan oil on easier terms.
While most PetroCaribe leaders present used the one-day meeting in St. Kitts to praise Venezuela's oil support for the economic and social development of their countries, Ortega made a point of attacking U.S. strategy in Latin America....