Venezuelan soldiers take part in a military parade on June 24, 2009, to celebrate the 188th anniversary of the battle of Carabobo in Valencia, where Simon Bolivar's decisive victory against Spanish forces led to Venezuela's independence. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/REUTERSSouth America: Will Defense Spending Trigger An Arms Race? -- Christian Science Monitor
Venezuela's Chávez recently bought tanks and missiles from Russia. Several countries – including Brazil, Colombia, and Chile – are increasing their defense spending in a region that faces no major external threats.
Mexico City - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently returned from Moscow flush with fresh deals for battle tanks and missile defenses – a shopping spree that spurred a rare US admonishment that the leftist leader is provoking a regional arms race.
Mr. Chávez claims that his latest move to stockpile weapons is in preparation for a future US attack to unseat him for better access to the country's vast oil reserves. He points to a new Colombian plan to allow US forces to use seven Colombian military bases as the latest example of US imperialist overreach. Relations between his country and the conservative government of neighboring Colombia have hit rock bottom.
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My Comment: The three main countries that are propelling this arms race are Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia .... and all three are doing it for different reasons. Colombia because of its drug wars. Brazil because of its natural resources offshore. Venezuela because of its paranoid President. The real crunch time will happen when these countries start to look at each other .... if that happens a "real" arms race will be the outcome.
"Colombia because of its drug wars. Brazil because of its natural resources offshore. Venezuela because of its paranoid President."
ReplyDeletePlease... that's right, Venezuela is only the 6th largest exporter of oil on the planet, and shouldn't really bother w/ protecting it resources from an increasing resource hungry world ... this recession/depression is not permanent.
Thank you anonymous for your comment.
ReplyDeleteThe bulk of Colombia's military purchases is slated for counter insurgency/narcotics operations. i.e. helicopters, surveillance aircraft, small arms, jeeps.
The bulk of Brazil's purchases .... long range jet aircraft, naval ships, etc. are slated for offshore operations.
The bulk of Venezuela's purchases .... small weapons, tanks, armor personnel carriers .... these are for controlling civil disturbances. i.e. suppressing your own population.