Chavez: Venezuela acquires thousands of missiles

[IBRIS]

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez said Monday that Venezuela has received thousands of Russian-made missiles and rocket launchers as part of his government's military preparations for a possible armed conflict with neighboring Colombia.

"They are preparing a war against us," Chavez said during a televised address, repeating a charge he has been making for months. "Preparing is one of the best ways to neutralize it."

Both Colombia and Washington deny having any plans to attack Venezuela, but Chavez argues they are plotting together a military offensive against Venezuela. Chavez says his government is acquiring more weapons as a precaution.

"Thousands of missiles are arriving," Chavez said. The former paratrooper-turned-president did not specify what type of missiles, but said Venezuela's growing arsenal includes Russian-made Igla-1S surface-to-air missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

Chavez, who has been feuding with Colombia for months, claims an agreement between Bogota and Washington allowing the U.S. military to increase its presence at seven Colombian military bases poses a threat to his country. Colombia says the deal is only to help it fight the war on drugs and insurgents inside its territory.

Chavez also said Monday that Russian tanks, including T-72s, will be arriving "to strengthen our armored divisions."

Venezuela has bought more than $4 billion worth of Russian arms since 2005, including 24 Sukhoi fighter jets, dozens of attack helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles. In September, Russia opened a $2.2 billion line of credit for Venezuela to purchase more weapons.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120703631.html

 

[sob]

This man will go any lengths to deflect the atention of the people of Venezuela from the real economic troubles the country is facing.

He has nationalised most of the oil companies and today is finding it difficult to find money for the upkeep of the existing oil fields and also for discovery of new fields.

Another thing that I noticed what is he doing buyin T 72 tanks. Further the terrain between Columbia and Venezula is either mountainous or thickly forested.

 

[IBRIS]

^^^^
Hugo Chavez orders military to shoot at US aircraft

President Hugo Chavez has accused the US of violating Venezuela's airspace with an unmanned spy plane, and ordered his military to shoot down any such aircraft in the future.

Published: 11:15PM GMT 20 Dec 2009

Speaking during his weekly television and radio program, Mr Chavez said the aircraft overflew a Venezuelan military base in the western state of Zulia after taking off from neighbouring Colombia. He did not elaborate, but suggested the plane was being used for espionage.

"These are the Yankees. They are entering Venezuela," he said.

"I've ordered them to be shot down," Mr Chavez said of the aircraft. "We cannot permit this."

He has accused Colombia of allowing the United States to use its military bases to prepare a possible attack against Venezuela.

Both the US and Colombia have denied such allegations in the past, saying the US military presence is for the sole purpose of combating drug trafficking.

A spokeswoman for the US Embassy said the mission had no information about any flyover and had not been contacted by Mr Chavez's administration.

"If the Venezuelan government would like to speak with us about any issue, we would welcome discussions because we seek open dialogue with all nations in the hemisphere," spokeswoman Robin Holzhauer said.

It is not uncommon for Mr Chavez to accuse other nations, especially the U.S. and its allies, of conspiring against Venezuela.

Last week, the president accused the Netherlands of letting the US military use Dutch islands off Venezuela's Caribbean coast to prepare for a possible military offensive. The former paratroop commander said the US military has sent intelligence agents, warships and spy planes to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, which are self-governing Dutch islands.

The Dutch government rejected the allegations and the country's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, has asked Venezuela's ambassador to clarify the claims, Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman Bart Rijs said.

Rijs said US soldiers do use civilian air fields on Curaçao and Aruba, but only for anti-drug trafficking efforts.

Tensions between Venezuela and neighbouring Colombia have been tense for months due to Mr Chavez's accusations of warmongering and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's allegations that Venezuela has allowed Colombian rebel leaders to seek refuge there.

Mr Chavez denied on Sunday that his socialist government is protecting Marxist guerrillas and warned Colombia's military against sending soldiers across the border.

"You'll be sorry," he said. "We are not unarmed."
Hugo Chavez orders military to shoot at US aircraft - Telegraph

 

[IBRIS]

Colombia beefs up forces on border with Venezuela

The Colombian government has announced it is building a new military base on its border with Venezuela and has activated six new airborne battalions.

Relations between the two nations are at a historic low with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez already telling his generals to prepare for war.

He moved 15,000 more troops up to the border, accusing Colombia and its ally, the US, of planning an attack.

A BBC correspondent says the potential for conflict is heightened.

Colombian Defence Minister Gabriel Silva announced the formation of a new base in La Guajira in the north, near the Venezuelan border.

At the same time, the Colombian army activated the new airborne battalions, which are equipped with US helicopters.

The helicopter fleet, made up mainly of Blackhawks, now numbers 120, making the Colombian Army Air Corps the best equipped and most experienced in Latin America, the BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Colombia says.

Preparing for war

President Chavez has criticised a pact announced last month allowing US troops to use several bases in Colombia.

Mr Silva said that the new base would have up to 1,000 soldiers.

It would, he added, also have a care facility for indigenous Wayuu people who live in the area.

Since Venezuelans were told by Mr Chavez to prepare for war and the Venezuelan army starting blowing up bridges that link the two nations, Colombia has been overhauling its defence strategy.

Until now this strategy has been geared almost exclusively to fighting the country's 45-year Marxist insurgency.

With the increasing build-up of military on both sides of the border, the potential for conflict is heightened, particularly when one considers 2,000 rebels in the border region prepared for a fight between the two nations, our correspondent says.
BBC News - Colombia beefs up forces on border with Venezuela

 

[sandeepdg]

120 Blackhawks for the Colombian army's airborne forces !! The Americans sure are doling out some really great goodies to them ! India should take a cue from this and upgrade its own army's airborne forces' hardware.

 

[sandeepdg]

I sincerely think that the Colombians won't attack Venezuela even if the Americans prodded them to ! After all, they have to coexist in the same continent where resources are very few for a country like Colombia to wage a full-scale war without any critical proof of the anti Colombian activity by the Chavez regime. Although Chavez is a fanatic, and he might not need any reason to start a war just to boast about his power !

 

[bhramos]

Colombia is 'highly vulnerable' in case of Venezuelan invasion: Report

Colombia's military is not prepared for a possible attack by neighboring country Venezuela, a classified government report leaked to newscast CM& says.

According to the report, Colombia does not have the military capacity to defend itself if its neighbor decides to attack
.
The two countries' relationship is under a lot of pressure following a U.S.-Colombian deal that allows the American armed forces to use Colombian military bases and airports to fight drug trafficking. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the plan a threat to Venzuelan sovereignty and ordered his countrymen to prepare for war, while increasing the number of troops near the Colombian border.

If Chavez decides to attack, Colombia "unfortunately" does not have the anti-tank capacity, especially in the flat and relatively accessible north of the country to deter a ground attack.

According to the report, Venezuela has concentrated its tank capacity in the northern part of the border region, where, in the case of an attack, a Venezuelan offensive would take place.

Colombia's Defense Ministry admits its ports on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts are "highly vulnerable."
"The Navy does not have air defense installations in these ... ports," the report says.

Following Chavez's war talk, Colombia deployed some 69,000 troops near the Venezuelan border, the report stresses.

Colombia is 'highly vulnerable' in case of Venezuelan attack: report

 

[AirforcePilot]

Colombia to Chavez: Santa, not ‘spy plane’

Colombia to Chavez: Santa, not ?spy plane? - Americas- msnbc.com

BOGOTA - Colombia's defense chief joked Monday that Venezuelan troops might have mistaken Santa's sleigh for a spy plane, dismissing accusations by President Hugo Chavez about drones flying over Venezuela.

Chavez on Sunday accused the United States of violating Venezuela's airspace with an unmanned spy plane and ordered his military to be on alert and shoot down any such aircraft.

The Pentagon has declined to comment on Chavez's accusations.

Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva and armed forces commander Freddy Padilla told reporters Monday that Colombian aircraft couldn't fly the kind of espionage mission described by Chavez.

"Colombia doesn't have that capability," said Silva. He quipped that perhaps "Venezuelan soldiers mistook Father Christmas' sleigh for a spy plane."

Padilla said Colombia has only small, unmanned surveillance planes that it uses to monitor pipelines and other installations against sabotage by rebel groups.

"They don't have any firepower and what they do is observe to prevent attacks on electrical towers," Padilla said.

Silva and Padilla did not discuss U.S. military capabilities at Colombian bases.

Chavez has accused Colombia of allowing the United States to use its military bases to prepare a possible attack on Venezuela.