Chavez Spends $2.9B on Arms From Russia

MOSCOW — Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, ended a three-day visit to Russia yesterday by hailing “a strategic alliance” with Moscow that he said had released his country from an American military stranglehold.Thanking President Putin and his government for helping to “break the U.S. policy of disarming Venezuela completely,” Mr. Chavez said he was intent on taking the relationship further.According to Russia’s state arms export company, Rosoboronexport, Venezuela has spent more than $2.9 billion on arms — from combat planes and helicopters to small arms — over the past three years.Convinced that America intends to occupy his country, Mr. Chavez has ordered a militarization program involving the training of up to 2 million reservists and the anticipated mass-production of Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition under license in Venezuela.Washington rejects the invasion claims as absurd.A State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, this week reiterated concerns about the Russian weapons sales and suggested that the money would be better used to improve the lives of Venezuelans.“We repeatedly talked to the Russian government [to say] that the arms purchases planned by Venezuela exceeded its defensive needs and are not helpful in terms of regional stability,” Mr. Casey said. He singled out the supply of 30 Sukhoi Su-30 fighter-bombers as a particular source of worry.At talks in the Kremlin, Mr. Putin called Venezuela a “natural partner” and said Russian investments in Venezuela could run into billions of dollars.Agreements were signed during the visit with Russia’s Lukoil company to develop two oil fields in Venezuela, which has some of the world’s largest deposits. Caracas also expects Russia to help build a 5,000-mile, $19.7 billion gas pipeline in South America.The two countries were also cooperating on the diplomatic stage. The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and the nuclear crisis surrounding Iran, and Mr. Putin said Russia would back Venezuela’s bid to become a member of the U.N. Security Council.Mr. Chavez has used the muscle provided by oil revenues to court anti-American friends around the world. He had arrived in Russia from neighboring Belarus, where he sought common ground with President Lukashenko, who is regarded by Washington as Europe’s last dictator.“Countries such as Venezuela and Belarus must keep their hands on their sword,” he told Mr. Lukashenko. “America has tried to close off our countries … with its hegemony and imperialism.”He called America a “senseless, blind, stupid giant that understands nothing about human rights, humaneness, culture, consciousness, and awareness.”Among the next stops on Mr. Chavez’s world tour is Iran.

Chavez Spends $2.9B on Arms From Russia

Chavez Spends $2.9B on Arms From Russia

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