Chavez to buy 1 million guns for distribution

[2952-0-0]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told a huge rally of supporters that he wants to buy more weapons to defend his country from invasion.
Speaking in the capital Caracas, Mr Chavez said 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles already on order from Russia were not enough.

Venezuela needed a million well-armed men and women, he said.

Mr Chavez also likened US President George W Bush to the German Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler.

Diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the US have been strained, but they worsened earlier this week when both countries expelled one another's diplomats after Caracas accused the US embassy of spying.

The Venezuelan government has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to destabilise President Chavez - an allegation rejected by US officials.

'Defend our fatherland'

The BBC's Greg Morsbach in Caracas says the rally - to celebrate a failed coup led by Mr Chavez in 1992 - got off to a militaristic start, with a bugler heralding the arrival of President Chavez at the podium.

Wearing his trademark red army beret, Mr Chavez said Washington was considering invading Venezuela.

"I ask for permission ... to buy another cargo of arms because the gringos want us unarmed. We have to defend our fatherland," he said.

"Venezuela needs to have one million well-equipped and well-armed men and women."

Last year the US tried to block the sale of 12 Spanish military planes to Venezuela that were made with US technology.

But Madrid recently said it would go ahead with the sale using more expensive European parts.

'Inflammatory rhetoric'

Turning to oil, the president said if the Bush administration wished to cut diplomatic ties to Venezuela, he would have no second thoughts about closing all the Venezuelan refineries in the US.

"Let's see what'll happen to the price of crude oil then", Mr Chavez told his audience.

He said the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had been wrong last week to compare the Venezuelan president with Adolf Hitler:

"The imperialist, genocidal, fascist attitude of the US president has no limits. I think Hitler would be like a suckling baby next to George W Bush."

Washington is deeply opposed to the government of left-wing Mr Chavez, who is a vocal critic of the US.

The US has expressed concerns about Venezuelan democracy under Mr Chavez and about the effect of his government's military purchases on regional stability.

But the US has not said it will break off relations with Venezuela, and correspondents say Washington has dismissed threats by Mr Chavez as inflammatory rhetoric aimed at his core supporters.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

While he did go a little overboard with his Bush is worse than Hitler comment, the fact is that Bush was behind the unsucessful coup against him. If Venezuela were to stop selling to the US, gas prices would go way up. See all of those Citgo gas stations? Yeah, there'd be a problem if they stopped selling.

[Jake]

For about a week. The USS Eisenhower would clear up any misunderstandings.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm sure there's a perfectly innocent explaination for this </sarkyness>

[afleitch]

I'm sure guns can form part of a nutricious meal Chevez is a lon...but hes not yet a dangerous one (if you compare him to leaders in Iran etc). Let him buy his guns and let's hope the people turn them on him.

[opebo]

Chavez just keeps getting better.  He's certainly one of the few world leaders who understands Bush and the American empire's role in the world - or at least talks openly about it.  Alas, I fear for his life.  Most such truthful men end up assassinated and their country taken over by US sponsored death squads.

[WalterMitty]

is it really wise to flood your country with firearms?

[patrick1]

Of course these guns are to protect him from the United States.  They could not possibily be distributed exclusively  to his political supporters to intimdate the opposition.  After all Citizen Hugo is the sole beacon of truth in South America.  Whatever.

Another duplicitous ploy by Chavez in his quest to conslidate absolute power.

[opebo]

is it really wise to flood your country with firearms?

I doubt it.   The Bad Place has been flooded with firearms since its inception, and look at the condition it is in.

[The Dowager Mod]

Given some of the rhetoric coming from some conservatives in the U.S. i don't blame him.

[TX_1824]

He is officially my favourite dictator with his self-inflated image of himself and a paranoid/antagonistic view of the US.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Every time there's a news story about Campo Chavez a different picture will be posted...

[GOP = Terrorists]

What percent of the Chavez's budget is defense spending?
What percent of Bush's budget is defense spending?
How many countries has Chavez invaded?
How many countries has Bush invaded?

I think that both are anti-democratic institutions within their respective countries.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

He is officially my favourite dictator with his self-inflated image of himself and a paranoid/antagonistic view of the US.

Except he's not a dictator. He is the democratically elected president of Venezuela.

[Gabu]

Glad to hear that Godwin's Law has been violated; that's the sure sign that the dialogue has reached the lowest point it's going to get.

[WMS]

Of course these guns are to protect him from the United States.  They could not possibily be distributed exclusively  to his political supporters to intimdate the opposition.  After all Citizen Hugo is the sole beacon of truth in South America.  Whatever.

Another duplicitous ploy by Chavez in his quest to conslidate absolute power.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup. Good to see Chavez is spending his money on alleviating poverty.

[opebo]

Of course these guns are to protect him from the United States.  They could not possibily be distributed exclusively  to his political supporters to intimdate the opposition.  After all Citizen Hugo is the sole beacon of truth in South America.  Whatever.

Another duplicitous ploy by Chavez in his quest to conslidate absolute power.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup. Good to see Chavez is spending his money on alleviating poverty.

Hah, did you have a look at the budget Bush just proposed?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Of course these guns are to protect him from the United States.  They could not possibily be distributed exclusively  to his political supporters to intimdate the opposition.  After all Citizen Hugo is the sole beacon of truth in South America.  Whatever.

Another duplicitous ploy by Chavez in his quest to conslidate absolute power.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup. Good to see Chavez is spending his money on alleviating poverty.

Hah, did you have a look at the budget Bush just proposed?

Bush thinks that you fight poverty by fighting poors.

[WMS]

Of course these guns are to protect him from the United States.  They could not possibily be distributed exclusively  to his political supporters to intimdate the opposition.  After all Citizen Hugo is the sole beacon of truth in South America.  Whatever.

Another duplicitous ploy by Chavez in his quest to conslidate absolute power.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yup. Good to see Chavez is spending his money on alleviating poverty.

Hah, did you have a look at the budget Bush just proposed?

Bush thinks that you fight poverty by fighting poors.

Chavez' entire bloody political platform was based on oil revenues not being fairly distributed to the poor. I find it striking that he cares more for equipping his military with Russian gear than in living up to his campaign promises. And yes, it does appear to have hurt his standing among the Venezuelan poor...probably not enough to cause trouble, yet.

[opebo]

Chavez' entire bloody political platform was based on oil revenues not being fairly distributed to the poor. I find it striking that he cares more for equipping his military with Russian gear than in living up to his campaign promises. And yes, it does appear to have hurt his standing among the Venezuelan poor...probably not enough to cause trouble, yet.

The man faces potential attack from the Empire!  He needs a little defense spending.

[Speed of Sound]

I dont blame him. You never know what might happen to you when youre an enemy of the US higher-ups.

[WMS]

Chavez' entire bloody political platform was based on oil revenues not being fairly distributed to the poor. I find it striking that he cares more for equipping his military with Russian gear than in living up to his campaign promises. And yes, it does appear to have hurt his standing among the Venezuelan poor...probably not enough to cause trouble, yet.

The man faces potential attack from the Empire!  He needs a little defense spending.

Oh please. We ain't gonna attack him. If that half-assed coup attempt was the best we could do - and from my sources it was kinda lethargically backed by some factions of the U.S. government in the area and kinda lethargically not supported by other factions of the U.S government in the area and not even on the radar of the main administration, mostly being a local effort - we certainly aren't going to invade. This is all about deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation with U.S. to whip up nationalism to stay in power. As the sane posters have said - YoMartin and ag - Chavez isn't quite rational, either.

Oh, all you leftists do know Chavez is good friends with the Iranian mullahs, including their hateful President, right?

The replies by leftist posters on this issue so illustrate why I will never, ever, be on the political Left.

[opebo]

As the sane posters have said - YoMartin and ag - Chavez isn't quite rational, either.

What president is?

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So?  The man is a reasonable alternative to Bush.

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Too closed-minded, eh?

[GOP = Terrorists]

Chavez' entire bloody political platform was based on oil revenues not being fairly distributed to the poor.

That would be wrong.  He also promised to protect his country from George W Bush.

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So you're claiming that he has actually reduced aid to the poor?

[patrick1]

Chavez' entire bloody political platform was based on oil revenues not being fairly distributed to the poor.

That would be wrong.  He also promised to protect his country from George W Bush.

Red herring