Venezuela defends arms purchase

CNN ^ | February 8, 2005

[Tailgunner Joe]

Venezuela's Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel rejected U.S. criticism of the deal to buy Russian military helicopters and 100,000 rifles, which he said were part of a policy to strengthen the nation's frontier defense.

His statement was in response to comments by Roger Noriega, U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, who told CNN's Spanish-language service that Washington worried the arms may end up with groups such as Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels.

Close ties between Chavez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro have rattled Washington, which criticizes the president's populist policies. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently called Chavez a negative force in the region.

Former army officer Chavez, in return, accuses the U.S. of backing attempts to topple him, including a 2002 coup, and presents himself as an alternative to U.S. regional influence.

A fierce critic of President George W. Bush, Chavez often rejects charges from Bogota and Washington that his government has allowed Marxist Colombian rebels to shelter in Venezuela.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Venezuela to Buy 50 Russian Mig-29 Fighters - September 17, 2004 - Americans reveal Russian MiGs in Venezuela - Venezuelan generals have told European diplomatic officials that they need the MiGs to protect the Panama Canal. When asked against whom, the air chiefs wouldn’t specify.

Russia, Venezuela sign joint declaration against U.S. supremacy - May 15, 2001 - In addition to calling for an end to the Cuba blockade, Chavez said Venezuela was ready to help Moscow obtain greater influence in the United States' back yard, adding: "We will help Russia's presence in the Caribbean region."

For his part, Chavez seemed to welcome the opportunity to liken his own authoritarian style to that of the Russian leader, with whom he said he expected to become "good friends."

"In the world at large, they characterise us in the same way," he told reporters. "They call us democrats with our own vision of democracy."

"We believe in democracy, but not the kind of democracy forced on us," Chavez said, adding: "A strategic alliance has began, a joint path."

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez Frias sees hand of Washington in Ukraine crisis - November 28, 2004 - "Almost all similar cases to what is happening in the Ukraine are stimulated from the outside for geo-political reasons ... if there were elections on the Moon and Mars, the USA would be there."

Putin's voodoo doll - November 26th, 2004 | Amid monstrous electoral turmoil in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin decided to hold a press conference today in Moscow, with none other than Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez. Putin, as you may be aware, is going head to head with the West over whether his puppet-candidate, who fraudulently claims victory in a tainted election, has the right to assume Ukraine's presidency. Ukranians blocking the freezing streets of Kyiv don't think so.

Last August 15, Hugo Chavez won a hugely fraudulent recall referendum victory comparable to the nightmare going on in Ukraine. However, the West didn't stick up for clean elections in Venezuela. Instead, it entrusted the matter to Jimmy Carter, who, always the dictator's friend, hastily declared it free and fair, giving Chavez the legitimacy he craves. Western media followed suit, repeating the lie with gusto.

With Putin showcasing Chavez in Moscow, it's his explicit message to the West that fraudulent elections are tolerable, fraudulent elections are just part of geopolitical power games, and the West is stunningly hypocritical if it can accept one fraud and denounce another. More to the point, he's making the case that every big power's got a right to tolerate if not commit fraud. And it also shows that he doesn't intend to back down.

[flashbunny]

Venezuela's Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel rejected U.S. criticism of the deal to buy Russian military helicopters and 100,000 rifles, which he said were part of a policy to strengthen the nation's frontier defense crush any revolts by citizens who want to be free.

[lormand]

May the guns of a thousand AC-130s infest the regime of Hugo Chavez

[drt1]

Well. No matter how bad Chavez is, and he's plenty bad, he has the right idea re: Protecting his borders. His alleged purpose for these helicopters and guns is to improve Border Defenses - A laudable objective by an un-laudable dictator. Why does he need to do this? Doesn't he want armies of Illegals to enter the country to 'Do work that Venezuelans will not do"? /sarc

[JustAnotherSavage]

"crush any revolts by citizens who want to be free."

Don't worry they can come to the US through Mexico and become "guest workers".

[marron]

he has the right idea re: Protecting his borders.

Uh, no. The FARC has half a dozen bases on the Venezuelan side of the border, the so-called "high-value" hostages held by FARC are held on the Venezuelan side.

Chavez has been issuing Venezuelan identity cards to FARC members, and allows their leadership to hold Vz citizenship and live openly there.

There have been reports of FARC receiving Venezuelan Air Force air support, and they are rather openly supplying FARC with rifles. The important thing about this purchase of 100,000 Russian rifles is that, when captured, at least these won't have Vz Army markings on them, as past captures have had.

Chavez's only complaint about violations of his territory is that Colombians have begun seizing FARC members in Venezuela and delivering them across the border.

[drt1]

Agree wholeheartedly and know what is happening on the VZ border. Note the /sarc at the end of my post. A little dig on our Southern Border situation.

[redgolum]

Looks like there might be a war with Columbia on Chavez's mind.

[marron]

Note the /sarc at the end of my post. A little dig on our Southern Border situation.

I'm with you on that one, brother. I love our friends to the south, but I love them to stay on their side of the line. It gives me the hives for politicians to act as if illegal immigration were some kind of unstoppable force of nature, when a little more seriousness in border policing is all it takes. All it takes to effectively police the border is a clear decision to do so.

Just as an aside, pre-Chavez Venezuela tended to be sympathetic to us and our illegal immigration problem, because fairly large numbers of Colombians work illegally in Venezuela. Venezuelans resented it. Road-blocks and mass roundups of Colombian (and other) illegals were common. No one thought anything of it. No papers? In the bus, now.

Brazilian miners who crossed over into the Venezuelan Amazon were executed on the spot. Yikes.

[drt1]

"All it takes to effectively police the border is a clear decision to do so."

It would appear there is an agenda other than Common Sense ad the Will of the People in play here. BTW Has anyone ever tried to Immigrate to Mexico or buy property their? All virtual impossibilities without great expense and risk.

If you are an Illegal there and working it's prison for you full stop - And not the relative spas ours are. Yet another indicia of the gross inconsistencies between US and Mexico with the US at a disadvantage in all areas..

[drt1]

their = there

[FierceDraka]

Typical socialist. Sieze power, run a sham election, and immediately begin arming in order to export the "revolution".

[FormerACLUmember]

The guns are to terrorize the Venezuelans by the butt ugly Presidente-for-Life Hugo Chavez.

[FormerACLUmember]

Typical socialist. Sieze power, run a sham election, and immediately begin arming in order to export the "revolution".

But Nobel Prize winning (and worst President of the 20th century) Jimmy Carter said Chavez is devoted to democracy and peace, as he certified the completely bogus "election" results.

[FierceDraka]

But Nobel Prize winning (and worst President of the 20th century) Jimmy Carter said Chavez is devoted to democracy and peace, as he certified the completely bogus "election" results.

Uh-huh. Leftists do so love to carp on about democracy and peace, as long as the ballot box comes pre-stuffed, and the peace is that of the powerless, unarmed serf-class living on their knees.

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Precisely.

This "arms purchase" is about as legitimate as the request by Daniel Ortega-made of the former Soviet Union-to provide his illegally installed junta with advanced weapons technology.

[dr_who_2]

Yeah, and Iran needs those reactors for research purposes. I think those countries in South America have a long history of pointless border wars as well. Chavez is up to no good, and everyone knows it.