By Ryan C. Kossler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
CARACAS, Venezuela – Last week Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that Venezuela had entered into an arms deal with Russia. The Russian government is purported to have opened a 2.2 billion dollar line of credit for Venezuela to purchase weapons, including, 92 Soviet-era T-72 battle tanks, 300-millimeter Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, and surface to air missiles with a range of up to 186 miles. The Russian government has said that it is willing to sell Venezuela whatever weapons it is willing to buy.
President Chavez said that the weapons were needed for defense purposes because his government feels threatened by Colombia’s recent agreement with the United States to give U.S. forces increased access to Colombian military bases. The agreement between the U.S. and Colombia occurred last month and was for the purpose of combating regional drug trafficking and terrorism.
U.S. officials say that they fear Venezuela’s new arms acquisitions could lead to an arms race in the region, in turn, leading to regional instability.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said U.S. officials think Venezuela’s arms buildup “poses a serious challenge to stability in the western hemisphere.”
Kelly also said that the U.S. urges Venezuela “to be transparent in its purchases, and very clear about the purposes of these purchases” and that the U.S. is concerned that the Venezuelan government “put[s] in place very clear procedures and safeguards that these arms are not diverted to any irregular organizations,” referring to the fact that in the past, the Venezuelan government has been accused of providing arms to FARC guerillas in Colombia, who are considered a terrorist group by the Colombian government.
President Chavez said that his country had the “right to take the minimum necessary steps” to protect its national security and natural resources. He accused the United States of encroaching on the country’s oil and gas reserves by saying “the empire has set its sights on them.” President Chavez seemed to be implying that the U.S.-Colombian agreement may have ulterior motives.
Russia has already sold Venezuela military equipment amounting to the cost of 4 billion dollars since the United States barred the country from buying U.S. equipment and this latest purchase further outpaces those of any other South American country.
For more information, please see:
Google News – US Fears Latin American Arms Race – 14 September 2009
Miami Herald – US Worries About Venezuelan Arms Buildup- 14 September 2009
Miami Herald – Venezuela Gets $2.2B in Credit for Russian Arms- 13 September 2009
VOA News – US Says Venezuelan Arms Buildup Threatens Regional Stability – 14 September 2009
VOA News – Venezuela Buys Rockets from Russia – 12 September 2009
