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Venezuela to US: Send Haiti vaccines, not troops
[Al Arabiya Latest] Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday that American relief efforts in Haiti had fallen short and told U.S. President Barack Obama to "send vaccinations, kid," instead of armed soldiers.The left-wing foe of Washington has accused the United States of using the earthquake in Haiti as a pretext for an "imperial occupation" of the devastated Caribbean nation. "Obama, send vaccinations, kid, send vaccinations," Chavez said during his weekly broadcast. "Each soldier that you send there should carry a medical kit instead of hand grenades and machine guns." A contingent of 13,000 U.S. troops is helping relief efforts after the Jan. 12, magnitude-7 quake killed up to 200,000 people and left up to 3 million people hurt or homeless and clamoring for medical assistance, food and water. Venezuela, the fourth-largest exporter of oil to the United States, has sent shipments of fuel, 5,400 tons of food, 6 tons of medicine, and 19 doctors to help with the recovery efforts, state media reported last week. Posted by: Fred 2010-01-25 |
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