Chávez Defends Rearmament Against the “Aggressive Plans” of the U.S.

MOSCOW (EFE) – The President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, defended the rearmament of the Venezuelan Army as a response to what he called the, “aggressive plans of the U.S.,” and reaffirmed his intention to continue military cooperation with Russia.

“We are headed at full sail. We are in the process of rearmament of the Armed Forces. We have already closed the delivery of the Su-30,” (Russian fighters), said Chavez at a press conference, according to the Russian agency Interfax.

Chavez added that Venezuela was also, “working on integrating its anti-aircraft system, which will guarantee short, medium and long-range security,” a process with which Russia and Belarus will assist.

The agency Interfax erroneously reported earlier, that Chavez had announced plans to purchase modern Russian weapons worth 30 billion dollars over the

next four years.

“I do not know where that figure has emerged: 30 billion dollars in four years. There are different figures, since it is a dynamic process,” the Venezuelan

president replied, according to the RIA-Novosti agency.

Although he was prepared to buy more Russian weapons in coming years before the “aggressive plans” of the U.S., which it accused of “harboring invasion plans for Venezuela.”

Moreover, Chavez said that Russian troops would be welcome, if Russia would like to deploy a military base on Venezuelan soil.

“Russia has enough potential to ensure their presence in different parts of the world. If the Russian Armed Forces want to be in Venezuela, they will be warmly received,” he said. Chavez stated upon arrival in Moscow, that the purchase of Russian arms will serve to ensure, “the sovereignty of Venezuela, which is threatened by the United States.”

According to the newspaper Gazeta.ru online, the Venezuelan leader, during his visit, discussed, “a number of important contracts for the supply of weapons,” which was not confirmed by the official media.

According to this source, Caracas is negotiating the purchase of twenty Tor-M1 aircraft systems, the same as Iran acquired in late 2005; three diesel-electric submarines of the class “Varshavianka” and another six of the Amur class, ten surface ships of a different class, twenty Il-114 patrol planes and ten Mi-28N helicopters.

The Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport announced on Monday that during Chavez’s visit an agreement would be signed, which will be a framework for the supply of military equipment.

Chavez stated before traveling that Russia had been ready to give the South American country a loan of up to 800 million dollars for arms purchases.

Russia has always defended the sale of armaments, to both Venezuela and Iran or Syria, whose regimes are denounced by the United States, arguing that they do not alter the strategic balance in the respective regions.

In recent years Venezuela has become the largest customer of the Russian military industry in Latin America, because they have bought 24 Sukhoi-30MK2 fighter bombers, half a hundred different types of helicopters and one hundred thousand Kalashnikov AK-103 rifles. Chavez, who first met with the new Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, will travel this Wednesday to Belarus, the second stop of his European tour which will also take him to Portugal and Spain.