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Caribbean-Latin America
Hugo to build Kalashnakov factory, buy Su-30s
2006-07-27
During his three-day tour to Russia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went to the countryÂ’s world-known armory center, Izhevsk (Udmurtia). In Izhevsk, Chavez announced the intention to rearm Venezuelan army with the help of Moscow and lashed out at the United States, contrasting it with Russia. The Bush administration that is attentively eyeing the visit called on Moscow not to sell the innovative weapons to Caracas, including Su-30 fighters. But the Kremlin made clear the military cooperation with Venezuela breaches neither the international agreements nor the laws of Russia.

As a former colonel of VenezuelaÂ’s army, Chavez obviously enjoyed the yesterdayÂ’s trip to Udmurtia. Straight from the airport, the president went to the firing range of Izhmash works, where he spent an hour watching the demonstrational shooting from innovative Kalashnikov sub-machine guns and new types of rifles. He was also shown TOP-M1 and Osa (Wasp) air defense systems. The president didnÂ’t bother to conceal his admiration.

After the firing range, Chavez headed for Izhmash weapons maker, Kalashnikov museum of small-arms weapons and had a personal meeting with Mikhail Kalashnikov, the legendary armourer of Russia. The Kalashnikov sub-machine gun is the banner of Venezuelan armed power, Chavez said after receiving an autobiographical book by Kalashnikov.

And the presidentÂ’s rhetoric was well-justified. Venezuela has acquired 100,000 Kalashnikov AK-103s of the latest model and Chavez is in to mood to stop at what has been accomplished. Chavez vowed that on Thursday he will seal an agreement in Moscow to construct a Kalashnikov works and an ammunition maker in Venezuela. WhatÂ’s more, Chavez promised to conclude one more agreement on the same day. It will set forth buying Su-30 fighters with the first planes to be delivered to Venezuela already this year.
Posted by:Nimble Spemble

#9  revenue to top $85 billion this year
Gawd amighty we're dooooooomed! That's more than Florida's $71 billion budget!
Posted by: 6   2006-07-27 17:18  

#8  You can always tell the caliber of the man by the company he keeps.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-07-27 17:05  

#7  Hugo, let us introduce your Air Force to a 50:1 kill ratio.
Posted by: mcsegeek1   2006-07-27 15:37  

#6  Actually the more Hugo spends on an air force the better it is. An air force is very expensive and makes for lovely pictures when it hits the giant buzzsaw that is the USAF. The more millions he pours into an Air Force, the bigger a money sink it becomes for him. If he really does plan on fighting the US, having an Air Force is honestly just flushing money down the toilet. He simply can't spend enough on an Air Force to really make a threat to ours.

Posted by: Silentbrick   2006-07-27 13:54  

#5  Venezuela's oil model: Is production rising or falling?
The state oil company, PDVSA, reports production of 3.3 million barrels a day. There is no way to independently confirm this, and most outside analysts, including the International Energy Agency, say PDVSA's numbers are inflated and production is closer to 2.6 million barrels per day. The Financial Times reported this month that Venezuela's shortfall in production is such that it was actually forced to strike a $2 billion deal to buy about 100,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Russia to avoid defaulting on contracts - a claim the Chávez government says is false.

But whatever the real output, Venezuela - because of the high price of oil - is raking in more petrodollars than ever before. When Chávez came into office in 1999, the country reported production of 3.5 millionbarrels per day and, with oil selling at about $15 per barrel, was making just over $18 billion a year. This month, with oil at about $70 a barrel, PDVSA Finance Director Eudomario Carruyo told Reuters he expects revenue to top $85 billion this year. PDVSA officials have reportedly said that oil production will increase to 4 million barrels per day by 2012.

Chavez isn't hurting for money when he has 5 times as much to play with. That money can buy a lot of friends and destabilize surrounding governments.

Again, when the US and the west refuses to produce it's own energy, it only funds those who wish to weaken or destroy us. Of course if that ever happens, their oil will be worthless in a non-market economy.
Posted by: ed   2006-07-27 13:26  

#4  With oil at $75 per barrel he thinks he's rich, and doesn't need to reinvest in new oil fields or maintaining old ones.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-07-27 09:53  

#3  Buying lots of arms is a dictator's Viagra. It's a fair bet that he's seriously math-challenged - stupid, actually - and tolerates no one around him saying "No"... So I figure he's going to burn through his declining income until he can no longer buy off his peasant base. Then the fun will begin in earnest. And they'll be armed, LOL.
Posted by: Angolutle Fleresh8883   2006-07-27 09:44  

#2  Best of luck to ya, Chavez. Those Su-30s have a rep for being "Hanger Queens". Can you afford it Chavez? Can you?
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-07-27 09:39  

#1  Anyone keeping track of Venezulean defense spending pre-Chavez and today? Can't be good for an economy already on the skids.
Posted by: Spinemp Whaish3182   2006-07-27 09:27  

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