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Chavez slams criticism of possible sub, air defense purchases
Published on Monday, June 25, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): President Hugo Chavez on Saturday defiantly insisted that any purchases of Russian submarines or an air defense system from Belarus were none of the United States' business, but Venezuela's alone.
Chavez is set to travel to Russia next week on a tour also taking him to Belarus and Iran.
He is an elected leftist whose own government is flush with petrodollars and is a staunch critic of current US policy.
In an address to some 15,000 young members of his new party now being set up, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Chavez said some had the idea his trip to Russia would complicate US-Russian relations.
"In the United States, they say my trip to Moscow is a concern and that they don't look favorably on my meeting with the president, my friend Vladimir Putin," Chavez said.
He said media reports on a potential US-Venezuelan clash over arms were "trying to interfere in relations, Russia's and Venezuela's, which are deep and strategic."
"These relations are highly strategic, and are tied up with our security, defense and overall development," Chavez added.
Chavez said Thursday he might purchase some Russian submarines when he meets with Putin.
"What's so strange about our buying submarines?" Chavez had asked in a televised speech.
"I don't know if we'll buy them, but if we do, it shouldn't shock anybody."
If a deal is done, analysts say it could chill the tone of a summit between Putin and US President George W. Bush slated for early July.
Chavez later told a televised meeting with local officials that he was surprised at reporters' questions about a possible submarine purchase.
"They're making all this noise because Venezuela is going to buy some submarines. And I told them, 'Why not?'" Chavez said without confirming or denying the rumor.
"We've got half a million square kilometers of (Caribbean) sea, to the north, we've got Puerto Rico, in other words the empire (as he calls the United States), and France in the western Caribbean islands.
We've got a huge sea," he said apparently alluding the use to which Venezuela's submarines would be put.
Analysts also say Chavez wants the subs to protect shipping lanes for key oil exports.
Russian daily Kommersant said this month that Chavez wanted to buy as many as nine submarines and that during his visit could clinch the deal.
The president also made light Saturday of reported US concerns about his trip to Iran, which Bush placed on an "axis of evil" with North Korea and Iraq.
"Supposedly I am going to sign a deal to make an atomic bomb," Chavez laughed. "Well we don't need the atomic bomb, because we already have the atomic bomb -- only our atomic bomb is the Venezuelan people."
Chavez also said that in Belarus he would put finishing touches on a deal to purchase an integrated air defense system with a 200-300-kilometer range.
Last year, Venezuela signed contracts with Russia to buy 53 Mi-24 armored helicopter gunships, Sukhoi 30 fighter planes and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.
His tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran was to take place from June 26 to July 3.
Chavez slams criticism of possible sub, air defense purchases
Published on Monday, June 25, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): President Hugo Chavez on Saturday defiantly insisted that any purchases of Russian submarines or an air defense system from Belarus were none of the United States' business, but Venezuela's alone.
Chavez is set to travel to Russia next week on a tour also taking him to Belarus and Iran.
He is an elected leftist whose own government is flush with petrodollars and is a staunch critic of current US policy.
In an address to some 15,000 young members of his new party now being set up, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, Chavez said some had the idea his trip to Russia would complicate US-Russian relations.
"In the United States, they say my trip to Moscow is a concern and that they don't look favorably on my meeting with the president, my friend Vladimir Putin," Chavez said.
He said media reports on a potential US-Venezuelan clash over arms were "trying to interfere in relations, Russia's and Venezuela's, which are deep and strategic."
"These relations are highly strategic, and are tied up with our security, defense and overall development," Chavez added.
Chavez said Thursday he might purchase some Russian submarines when he meets with Putin.
"What's so strange about our buying submarines?" Chavez had asked in a televised speech.
"I don't know if we'll buy them, but if we do, it shouldn't shock anybody."
If a deal is done, analysts say it could chill the tone of a summit between Putin and US President George W. Bush slated for early July.
Chavez later told a televised meeting with local officials that he was surprised at reporters' questions about a possible submarine purchase.
"They're making all this noise because Venezuela is going to buy some submarines. And I told them, 'Why not?'" Chavez said without confirming or denying the rumor.
"We've got half a million square kilometers of (Caribbean) sea, to the north, we've got Puerto Rico, in other words the empire (as he calls the United States), and France in the western Caribbean islands.
We've got a huge sea," he said apparently alluding the use to which Venezuela's submarines would be put.
Analysts also say Chavez wants the subs to protect shipping lanes for key oil exports.
Russian daily Kommersant said this month that Chavez wanted to buy as many as nine submarines and that during his visit could clinch the deal.
The president also made light Saturday of reported US concerns about his trip to Iran, which Bush placed on an "axis of evil" with North Korea and Iraq.
"Supposedly I am going to sign a deal to make an atomic bomb," Chavez laughed. "Well we don't need the atomic bomb, because we already have the atomic bomb -- only our atomic bomb is the Venezuelan people."
Chavez also said that in Belarus he would put finishing touches on a deal to purchase an integrated air defense system with a 200-300-kilometer range.
Last year, Venezuela signed contracts with Russia to buy 53 Mi-24 armored helicopter gunships, Sukhoi 30 fighter planes and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.
His tour of Russia, Belarus and Iran was to take place from June 26 to July 3.