Posted on 07/27/2009 8:53:03 AM PDT by Ebenezer
(English-language translation)
The government of Venezuela will purchase tanks from Russia to double its fleet and strengthen its armed forces.
[Venezuelan] President Hugo Chávez made the announcement amid growing tensions with Colombia over its military agreement with the United States, which would allow troops from that country to operate from Colombian bases.
"We are going to bring several new tank battalions in order to double the armored force we presently have....I am not going to pay attention to what the neighbors say, or up north, forget the Yankees," said Chávez in "Hello, Theoretical President", the new version of his Sunday show.
The Venezuelan president explained that the new tanks are part of a "western shield plan" to protect the border with Colombia, from where he believes the United States is planning an offensive.
"They are preparing for aggression. They shouldn't think about it, because they will have to deal with the sons of (Simón) Bolívar," he stated.
Chávez added that his country's military plans were officially communicated to the government of Russia, Venezuela's chief arms supplier, which sold the country 24 Sukhoi fighter jets, 50 combat helicopters, and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles between 2005 and 2007.
In addition, both countries held joint military maneuvers in the Caribbean Sea in November 2008.
The Venezuelan president also said that he will push for the creation of "combat troops" out of militias composed of students, workers of state-owned companies, and peasants.
To Chávez, Washington "wants to turn Colombia into the Israel of Latin America," which "would be incendiary, regrettable, very sad."
On Tuesday, the president warned that the United States and its allies in Colombia and Israel comprise "a cadre of aggression against Venezuela," for which he announced that he would review its relations with the neighboring country.
Chávez was referring to the coming arrival of "thousands of Yankee soldiers to American military bases in Colombia," a country which shares a 2,219-kilometer land border with Venezuela.
Yes, we do. My wife is an official of an “international organization” with an office in Montevideo, and we both work closely with, and are friends with, many Latin Americans, including many from Colombia. Living in Miami, we are exposed to the culture and language of that part of the world more so than people from other parts of the U.S.
Colombians are great people, but they do get a bit irritated when we “gringos” can’t spell the name of their country correctly.
(Actually, I don’t like the term “gringo”. When I am down south and am called a gringo, I tell the person “No,
soy Yanqui”.)
With our air-to-ground precision munitions, all new tanks do is conveniently gather enemy troops into a small area for incineration.
Yes, tanks are little more than targets without air control.
If Obamanista, Jr. was really worried about a US invasion, a better solution would be to start construction of elaborate tunnels, and resistance organizations to hamper any ability of the USA to occupy the country.
Thanks for posting the translation rrstar96.
The tanks and all the hardware is for use against civilians. Chavez is a punk, thug and typical 3rd world dictator that is built up by the media.
I can't wait till we start hearing about their "crack" Republican Guard or the mighty "Chavez" freedom Battalion or whatever.
If you gave me the 11th MEU and unlimited supplies from any source I could sea-lift I'd have Chavez in a f'ing bag or swinging from a rope in a month. The bonus would be seeing every single tank, chopper and jet burnt to a crisp with the barbecued remains of the army laying on the deck and getting eaten by dogs or vultures.
The only reason that any of these tin pot dictators is squawking is because we're lazy and the democrats love communist dictators. The first inkling of a real threat from Iranian terrorists moving or using Venezuela as a base of operation, this little b#tch, Chavez, is going to find himself fragged out or wearing zip ties and hanging from a rope..... I'd like the rest of the Chavez "supporters" in this country to join him as well.
The article describes the cache Chávez bought as fusiles de asalto ("assault rifles"). Whatever way we want to describe a Kalishnikov, it's still a weapon, and it kills.
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