Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Venezuelan Navy Chases Off Nuclear Sub: Chavez

CARACAS - The Venezuelan Navy this week chased off a "nuclear-powered submarine" that violated its territorial waters, President Hugo Chavez said, without pointing to any specific country.
In a televised call to state TV on Nov. 9, Chavez said naval forces had detected the submarine on Nov. 8 and pursued it, but "it escaped because it was much faster than ours."
"Obviously, given the speed and the velocity, it was a nuclear-powered submarine, but we are investigating," he added.
Chavez said his government had its "suspicions" concerning the origin of the vessel, but said "we are not accusing anyone" at the moment.
"We cannot say exactly who it was, because we have no evidence, but it was certainly a submarine," Chavez said.
He added that "the imperialists," referring to the United States, "have grown accustomed to strolling around the Caribbean and being all over the place, including by using satellites for espionage."
The fiery leftist Chavez has long accused the United States of meddling in Latin America and has cultivated ties with Washington's arch-foes, including Cuba and Iran.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Venezuela's Chavez Thanks Russia for Tanks


CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez thanked Russia on Aug. 17 for its sale of 25 tanks and other arms to the South American country, saying they were needed for "defending our sovereignty."
"These arms from Russia, now in Venezuela, will be for defending our sovereignty. Thanks to Russia. A round of applause for Russia," he added, to applause, speaking at a military ceremony to receive the arms.
"I want to thank (Russian) President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister (Vladimir) Putin for these weapons manufactured in the Russian Federation, in sister Russia," Chavez said in a message broadcast by state TV.
The Venezuelan military received 25 tanks and hundreds of other weapons, according to generals present at the ceremony.
Between 2005 and 2007 Venezuela reached deals to buy $4 billion worth of arms from Russia, including Sukhoi fighter jets, combat helicopters and guns.
The Chavez government also secured a $2.2 billion loan in 2010 to purchase Russian T-72 tanks and an undisclosed number of S-300 antiaircraft missiles.
Chavez, a leftist firebrand who often rails against the "imperialist" United States, said Venezuela needed to guard its vast oil and mineral wealth. "We do not seek war with anyone, but we have to defend our country."

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Spain Halts Military Chopper Sale to Iran: Police

MADRID - Spanish police halted the illegal export of nine Bell-112 military transport helicopters to Iran and detained eight people including three Iranians, they said May 26.
Police seized the U.S.-made helicopters and arrested five Spanish businessmen suspected of trying to export them along with three Iranians accused of negotiating the purchase of military materiel.
In the operation, dubbed "Nam,' they raided industrial warehouses in Madrid and Barcelona and snatched helicopters destined for Iran, police said in a statement.
They also seized aviation spare parts allegedly destined for export to Venezuela, police said.
Police estimated the total value of the helicopters, spares and other military materiel at about 100 million euros ($140 million).
Police said the aircraft were subject to European Union and Spanish controls and were banned for export by the United Nations.
With a top speed of 140 mph and an average range of 370 miles, the helicopters were designed to ferry troops and military equipment, police said.
The Spanish companies flouted export requirements, failing to obtain licenses for the export of military materiel or so-called dual-use goods that can have military applications, police said.
The firms knew the export of the aircraft and spare parts was banned, they said, accusing them of concealing them in the warehouses, owned by a syndicate of the Spaniards who had been detained.
The helicopters and spares were being prepared for assembly and disassembly before export to Iran and Venezuela, police said.
"They tried to protect the export sale, which could have resulted in revenue of about 100 million euros, under the cover of legal aviation repairs," the statement said.
Police said they found out about the arrival in Spain of the Iranian purchasers who had come to formalize the deal and they then launched an operation to arrest them.
They arrested five people in Madrid and three in Barcelona and raided another three addresses resulting in the seizure of the nine Bell helicopters, aviation materiel and spares and related documents.