Russia Lends Chavez $2B in Arms Deal

Chavez to beef up weapons to rebuff expected attack by 'the empire'

By Mat Probasco, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 14, 2009 2:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – Russia has agreed to lend Venezuela more than $2 billion to buy Russian-made weaponry to ward off what the South American country sees as an imminent US-Colombian attack, reports the BBC. "With these rockets, it is going to be very difficult for them to come and bomb us," said socialist President Hugo Chavez. Chavez plans to buy nearly 100 tanks and anti-aircraft systems as tensions mount in the wake of a Colombia agreement to grant the US more access to military bases there.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appear together outside the Barvikha presidential residence near Moscow last week. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visit a Russian destroyer docked in Venezuela last year. (AP Photo/ RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)

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We have the largest petroleum reserves in the world. The empire has its sights on them. - Hugo Chavez, referring to the US

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PhillytoWinnetka

Sep 14, 2009 9:36 AM CDT

Chavez did seem like a caricature b/f, but now it's not funny..it's dead serious. Will Chavez pull a Venezuelan version of the Cuban Missile crisis on South America/ Mexico and us? He wants to create his own version of the USSR in South America. Putin wants to recreate the USSR...those two have alot in common. Just hope our President is ready to back up his diplomacy...with real action. So far his "international appeal" isn't yielding any positive results or increased cred :Scots freed Libyan terrorist, Taliban is re-gaining in Afghanistan, Russia is trading arms w/ Venezuela, Venezuela may be laundering funds for Iran so they can go nuclear, Korea keeps test firing missiles, and UBL comes out w/ a latest & greatest vid pretty much calling Pres. Obama a p-ssy.. Where is all the foreign appeal and cooperation that Obama's election was supposed to bring??? Obama should stop "fighting" Americans opposed to his out of control spending/social justice initiatives, and focus more on being the heavy w/ some of these tyrannical world leaders who are actively coordinating with each other in seeking our demise. Our economy is nearly at its worst, our military has been weakened by under funding, our security interests are being dismantled, our reputation Internationally is worse not better. We are clearly at our weakest...and it's just a matter of time b/f the other shoe drops. God Help Us.

Bullseye

Sep 14, 2009 8:45 AM CDT

F.... Russia

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Russia Lends Chavez $2B in Arms Deal