Venezuela spending billions on defense

[cal04]

Venezuela is buying helicopters, boats and military transport planes in defense deals worth about $2.7 billion, modernizing its military as tensions grow between leftist President Hugo Chavez and the United States. Flush with oil profits but blocked from buying U.S. arms, Chavez is increasingly looking to countries like Russia and Spain as suppliers.

A cargo ship carrying 30,000 Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles is headed to Venezuela with the first shipment of an order totaling 100,000 guns to arrive by year's end. The military is looking to buy more submarines, and Chavez is planning an even bigger deal for Russian fighter jets.

"The United States is failing in its attempt to blockade us, to disarm us," Chavez said after announcing the first shipment of Kalashnikovs. Washington has pointed to the mounting defense deals with concern and urged Russia and Spain not to do business with Venezuela. Both countries have shrugged off the warnings.

Venezuela's defense budget is up 31 percent this year, to $2 billion, and that doesn't include roughly $2.2 billion it plans to spend for 10 transport planes and eight patrol boats on what will be Spain's largest-ever defense deal. Chavez says the spending is necessary to keep the military up to date and to obtain "minimal arms for the defense of our seas, land and airspace." Defense economist Mark Stoker says the deals so far don't appear to be a significant buildup; Venezuela is not spending as much as Brazil and Colombia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060530/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_defense_deals

[Selatius]

1. They have to replace all US equipment now

Because the US no longer sells them the spare parts to keep US warplanes and other weapon systems operational, they have to buy equipment that they can get spare parts for.

[Jacobin]

2. They're gonna need it

They have lots of oil

[Minstrel Boy]

3. Sing a Song for Chavez

by David Rovics download it from this page (along with other great songs).

For the moment the horizon is on fire
Democracy rising balanced on a wire
Liberation, you can smell it in the air
Things are moving and the rich are all aware
Some will talk along the sidelines, others they will do
Me, I'll sing a song for Chavez before the coup

For the moment the airwaves are alive
On the radio the barrios have arrived
Cuban doctors in their thousands on the street
In the shanty towns they're pouring the concrete
The opposition whines that Venezuela is all through
Sing a song for Chavez before the coup

For the moment folks are learning how to read
The Constitution is the people's creed
From their back pocket they'll take it out for all to see
And their motto is death or liberty
There are those who will complain, mostly the privileged few
Sing a song for Chavez before the coup

For the moment the oil wells are flowing
And Citgo's profits know exactly where they're going
Feed the hungry, house those without a home
Give the tractors to those who dig sod and loam
Maybe he will meet the fate that Allende knew
But I'll sing a song for Chavez before the coup

For the moment the movement's on the rise
It's all happening right before our eyes
But turn on the TV and there's nothing they will say
If he's gone and we don't hear it did it happen anyway
If the future's to be ours I ask what are you gonna do
Sing a song for Chavez before the coup

[jwirr]

4. Well if you had a neighbor like *ss wouldn't you?

[bullimiami]

5. its a lot less than 500 billion a year. right?

virtually all of these bogeyman stories seem foolish in the shadow of what the bush regime has / does.

[teknomanzer]

18. Agreed...

Whatever Chavez is spending is chump change compared to what the U.S spends for "defense." Rather ironic that a country that spends more on "defense" than the top three other nations put together would find itself vunerable to attack five years ago. I wish they would just go back to calling it the War Department so we could have some semblance of reality in this country.

[RufusEarl]

6. Well it pisses me off,

and here's why! The US is knocking on Hugo's door, and Hugo is telling the world that the Decider is going to get him.

So Hugo starts building up his military, instead of spending the money on his people. This is what pisses me off, a country like Venezuela buying military hardware to defend themselves from the US.

Instead of spending the country's wealth on education and medical care for it's people, just like the US. This makes no sense to me, what is wrong with the USofA?

If the US would spend our tax dollars on developing renewable fuels instead of trying to take fossil fuels from other countries the problem would be solved.

Peace!

[Rex]

10. Unfortunately the Decider has made a decision about Hugo.

Full well knowing it will cause Chavez to spend huge amounts of money on defensive measures. I agree, a real tragedy but planned after 3 failed coup attempts. If you can't get em one way, try another!

[Judi Lynn]

14. You need to spend some of your time reading.

Here are the organizations created to bring change in Venezuela:

The Bolivarian Missions are a series of social justice, social welfare, anti-poverty, and educational programs implemented under the administration of the current government. The missions are: Robinson, Ribas, Sucre, Barrio Adentro, Barrio Adentro Deportivo, Vuelvan Caras, Mercal, Guaicaipuro, Zamora, Cultura and, more recently, Negra Hipólita.

In this opportunity, we want to show our readers the achievements and advances that each one has had.

Robinson Mission
This mission was launched on July 1, 2003, and it was used to pull millions of Venezuelans out of the shadows of ignorance.

Robinson mission is the most important civil and military operation ever launched in Venezuela’s history. This mission uses volunteers to teach reading, writhing and basic math to more than 1.5 million Venezuelans who were illiterate. Each educational district gave their support for the implementation of this mission, as well as the Venezuelan armed forces.

On October 28, 2005, Venezuela was officially declared illiteracy-free territory by the UNESCO. A total of 1,482,543 Venezuelans learned to read and write; they were helped by 128,967 teachers in 136,041 classrooms. Many other governments, heads of states, personalities and organizations praised this mission.

There are currently 11,700 Venezuelans registered for the new phase of this mission.

It is worth mentioning that the Bolivarian government had the will to eradicate illiteracy. This is the first time an effort of these characteristics is put in motion and this experience could be taken into other countries in the region.

Robinson II mission is called “I can continue” and it aims to provide ongoing basic education courses to those Venezuelans who have not completed their elementary-level education. There are currently 1,468,967 Venezuelans in this mission, helped by 104,171 teachers in 99,171 classrooms.

Ribas Mission
This mission was born on October 16, 2003, and it provides remedial high school level classes to millions of Venezuelans who were forced to dropout from high school. It iis named after independence hero José Félix Ribas. This mission is sponsored by the Oil and Energy ministry, as well as state-owned Pdvsa.

The goal is for this mission to be a continuation of Robinson II mission.

From 2003 to January, 2006, the Bolivarian government has helped 885,410 Venezuelans enter this mission. There are currently 578,668 Venezuelans studying in this mission with the help of 32,167 teachers, 5,177 coordinators at 8,306 school facilities nationwide. There are 32,291 classrooms and 173,834 students have received scholarships.


Sucre Mission
Sucre Mission was launched in September, 2003. The Ministry of Higher Education is in charge of this project and carries it out all around the country. The Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV, Spanish acronym) opens its doors to thousands of students who began to study in classrooms that were the luxurious offices of oil oligarchs.

This program’s goal is to boost the institutional synergy and community participation in order to guarantee and provide access to higher education to all high school students.

So far, this program has registered 472,363 high school graduates, 429,215 of which have been assisted and 318,381 have finished the University Introductory Program. A total of 330,346 high school graduates have registered in the education programs. Also, the mission has granted 96,412 scholarships ($100) to the poorest students, and it is checking other 2,968 scholarships.

Likewise, 10,212 teachers work for the education programs and 1,107 university villages are distributed all around the country. These examples are a proof of the determination and strategy of the State to cancel a social debt. Also, this program guarantees access to higher education to all Venezuelans.


Barrio Adentro Mission
Since April, 2003, the national government’s main objective is to shape a health network through providing a free service to the poor sector of the population. This is why Barrio Adentro Mission I was launched.

This mission’s general objective is to provide access to health care assistance to 60 percent of the excluded population through the construction of 8,000 Popular Medical Centers, to provide a doctor to 250 families (1,200 people), to increase the life expectancy rate of the population and to contribute to the development, growth and ageing with a good standard of life.

Barrio Adentro Mission I has made an important progress in this sense by providing 162,012,583 people with medical assistance, 14,716,325 people with dental assistance and 3,811,741 people with eye assistance, by saving 31,063 lives, by giving 375,144 glasses, and by constructing 1,012 medical centers.

Barrio Adentro Mission II was launched on June 12, 2005. This mission opened 30 Integral Diagnosis Centers and 30 Integral Rehabilitation Rooms all around the country. These centers have make possible to perform 3,936,874 lab tests, 535,631 emergency surgeries, 775,690 ultrasounds, 285,415 X-Rays, 324,936 electrocardiograms, 108 operations, 55,499 endoscopies, 1,064,339 rehabilitation traements.

Also, 200 Integral Diagnosis Centers (CDI, Spanish acronym) and Integral Rehabilitation Rooms (SRI, Spanish acronym) have been opened during these last months. 103 are already finished and they are in the endowment phase. 704 are still under construction.

Likewise, Barrio Adentro III Mission is already working. This mission has to do with the strengthening of the hospital networks all around the country in order to meet the demand of Barrio Adentro II (CDI and SRI). This project is known as People’s Hospitals since it implies the modernization of hospital centers with medical and electromechanical equipment.

Barrio Adentro Mission (Sports)
This program began in February 2004 and its goal is assisting the sport skills of students, senior citizens, pregnant women, people with disabilities and all people wishing to improve their standard of life and health.

So far, 150,504,060 people (including all sports programs) have registered in this program. 43,976,715 people belong to sports, 25,259,343 people to physical activities at school, 980,574 people are training, 480,593 consultations and 40,417,071 recreation activities have taken place, 31,663,978 sport programs have been carried out and 7,726,786 people are registered in therapeutic sports.

The goal of this mission is to take care of national sports through sport assistance centers located in each municipality and through the Training Schools for Sport Talents (one per state), specifically for high performance sport.

Vuelvan Caras Mission
Vuelvan Caras Mission’s goal is to provide vocational training for work. People graduating from different missions must gradually incorporate into the country’s economic production process and this is fulfilled through Vuelvan Caras Mission. This program represents the claiming for our knowledge and our creating potential and it serves the transformation of the socioeconomic model proposed by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Since January, 2004, 6,814 cooperatives have been shaped, 130 Endogenous Development Centers are working, and there are 5,627 financed cooperatives and 264,720 graduates. The funds for these cooperatives amount to $ 423,914.

Mercal Mission
This program was created to trade and sell food and other essential products like medicines at affordable prices. It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Food’s goal for 2005 was to set up 6,000 sale points; this represents 14,539,300 people benefiting from this program.

Also, 6,004 Soup Kitchens are working; these benefits 900,600 people by giving them free meals. These meals are given to the poorest sectors of the population. Regarding nutrition and protection, 1,374,312 people living in extreme poverty have benefited from this proram.

Thanks to the products of the Corporation for Agrofood Supply and services (CASA, Spanish Acronym) and Mercal (markets), people can save up to 34 percent in comparison with the prices regulated by the State and 37 percent in comparison with the market prices.

Guaicaipuro Mission
This mission’s goal is to restore human rights to numerous indigenous communities. This program was launched in August 2004 and it has handed over 21 communal land titles to an indigenous population of 6,769 people.

The government has carried out a total of 61 projects, which represents an amount of more than 2 million dollars. The national government has financed 32 projects for a total of 600,000 dollars. Guaicaipuro Mission represents the restoration of constitutional rights to indigenous people, as well as economic development, land demarcation, strengthening of their identity, language, education, habitat and health.


Zamora Mission
Mission Zamora’s main goal is to hand over land titles to farmers in order to guarantee the food offer for the have-nots and to bet for social economy and endogenous development. This mission is linked with Mercal.

Since January, 2005, the government has granted 68,528 future land titles. This represents an area of 7,222,880 acres, apart from the 80 awarded titles that represent an area of 87,739 acres. There are 48 Zamora Ranches, representing a total of 56,994 acres.

Culture Mission
Culture Mission has worked since July, 2005 and it is a new kind of university system; that is, people graduate as Teachers in Culture. The student fee is about $230 per year. This mission has 70 tutors, 328 university teachers.

Negra Hipólita Mission
This mission is one of the newest created by the national government. It was launched on January 14, 2006, in order to fight poverty, misery and social exclusion; thus, the government begins a new stage in the fight against these calamities.

Currently, Negra Hipólita Mission is a fact that represents the commitment to set Venezuela free from misery. Also, it is a very important effort aimed to defeat the worse kind of exclusion: poverty. The assistance is aimed at children, adolescents, adults and the elderly living in the streets, in extreme poverty, and drug-addicted individuals.


Zuleima Centeno/ Missions / Ministry of Communication and Information

http://www.venezuelasolidarity.org.uk/ven/web/2006/missions/social_missions.html

[RufusEarl]

15. Thanks for the link,

and the information. I hope you understood my post, it wasn't meant to be anti Hugo. I personally think Hugo has done wonderful things for his people, and that's what i was trying to say in my post.

It appears our country is provoking him into military buildup, just when he was starting to help his people. But i do appreciate the information you posted, i'll read it carefully.

Peace!

[William769]

7. They have to so when the coup comes they will be ready.

[Endangered Specie]

11. Don't worry Chavez knows a thing or two about coups.

[Judi Lynn]

16. You bet he does! He knows what it's like to be kidnapped by Bush-backed

idiots. He also knows what it's like to run an unsuccessful coup attempt against a homicidal, corrupt friend of the American right-wing, Carlos Andres Perez, who raised the cost of transportation so wildly that the people of Caracas, suddenly unable to afford even buses to their employment, ran into the streets to protest, only to have Carlos Andrez Perez instruct his military to mow them down.

Perez was stealing tons from the people of Venezuela, was found guilty of embezzlement, and corruption, was impeached, and put in prison. If anyone led a coup against an asshole, this is the one to lead a coup against.

He remains a beloved figure of the Venezuelan oligarchy, and lives in New York and Miami, etc.

Last Updated: Saturday, 6 May 2006, 10:17 GMT 11:17 UK

Timeline: Venezuela
A chronology of key events

~snip~
1973 - Venezuela benefits from oil boom and its currency peaks against the US dollar; oil and steel industries nationalised.

1983-84 - Fall in world oil prices generates unrest and cuts in welfare spending; Dr Jaime Lusinchi (AD) elected president and signs pact involving government, trade unions and business.

1989 - Carlos Andres Perez (AD) elected president against the background of economic depression, which necessitates an austerity programme and an IMF loan. Social and political upheaval includes riots, in which between 300 and 2,000 people are killed, martial law and a general strike.

1992 - Some 120 people are killed in two attempted coups, the first led by future president Colonel Hugo Chavez, and the second carried out by his supporters. Chavez is jailed for two years before being pardoned

1993-95 - Ramon Jose Velasquez becomes interim president after Perez is ousted on charges of corruption; Rafael Caldera elected president.

1996 - Perez imprisoned after being found guilty of embezzlement and corruption.

1998 - Hugo Chavez elected president.

1999 - Severe floods and mudslides hit the north, killing tens of thousands of people.
(snip/...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1229348.stm



Dirty, twisted buffoon with his pal, _{George H. W. Bush}



Shots of aftermath taken after Perez' goons blew up the poor on the streets.

[Tempest]

8. If they had it in 2003...

The CIA would have never pulled off the short-lived coup.

[TankLV]

9. So - how much did bushco use of OUR money to invade Iraq based on LIES?!

That's what I want to know!

I could care less what Chavez does LEGITIMATELY with his money in DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY!

I DO care about our OWN WAR CRIMINALS!

[Demeter]

12. Unlike SOME Nations We Know and Live In, Venezuela Can Afford It

[Pavulon]

20. Afford it..Like 22"rims on an 93 caprice

this is chest puffing absurdity. Venezuela has zero ability to project power or use force against the US in any effective means.

The only reason for a buildup is to play biggus dickes with its neighbors.

When their MIC hits the half trillion mark, wake me up.

Comrade Chavez wants to increase his influence in the region.

[Demeter]

22. I Think Defense Is the Strategy

and not a bad idea, given the history of meddling in Latin America.

[ronnie624]

24. An attack against Venezuela

would be far more likely to come from a proxy of the U.S.; Colombia for example. Chavez has said nothing about "project(ing) power" or "use(ing) force against the US".

An honest consideration of the events in Venezuela along with the threatening statements made by members of the Bush administration against the leadership of this country and the many proxy wars instigated, financed and otherwise supported by the U.S. government over the years suggests that the content of your post is the real absurdity. As if the Venezuelan government doesn't have a thing to worry about. Such a bizarre and unrealistic perspective.

[Pavulon]

25. An attack will

come from his own military. I'm sure he spends plenty of time looking forward to his violent ouster.

That is the way it has been done for years.

[Bacchus39]

26. yes, an attack would come from within if at all

no way from the US and even less likely from Colombia

[Endangered Specie]

13. I wonder what Venezuala's neighbors think of this.

[Massacure]

17. Colombia probably won't be too thrilled.

I think Chavez is more worried about making a point to his neighbors than worried about defending a U.S. attack. The United States could put down $2 billion in ships and airplanes without much trouble. Venezuela would be better off buying light anti-tank missiles and surface to air missiles that can be used by guerrillas to deal with the United States.

[Bacchus39]

23. I don't think Colombia is too worried about military action

by Venezuela. funneling weapons to the FARC maybe, but not direct conflict.

[daleo]

19. The Pentagon spends as much on arms as the rest of the world together

The hypocrisy is mind boggling.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Defense spending in Latin America

Defense spending in Latin America
Tuesday May 30, 2006

Some of the top spenders on defense in Latin America last year:

Brazil: $13.2 billion, regular defense budget.

Colombia: $6.3 billion, includes regular defense budget, other military spending, costs of police agencies and U.S. military aid.

Chile: $3.8 billion*, includes defense budget, additional military funding and costs for national police.

Mexico: $3.1 billion*, defense budget.

Argentina: $1.7 billion*, defense budget.

Venezuela: $1.4 billion, regular defense budget. Does not include other defense deals paid from outside the budget.
(snip)

http://cbs4denver.com/businesswire/Venezuela-DefenseGlan2122673522-ff/resources_news_html

[midnight armadillo]

27. That's 0.4% of the US budget

$2 billion is 0.4% of the US $500 billion budget. Just to keep things in perspective...

[Judi Lynn]

28. Unbelievable. And Bush is making so much noise about it, too, through

his various orifices!

[Jack113]

29. Good move by Chavez

This is good news for his people. Chavez is heaven sent in times when the Bush & Cheney mob have tried to murder this leader that refuses to deal with our criminal elements who want nothing but the oil this country has. Chavez puts the countries wealth into his people not his pocket like the Bush crime lords.

[rucky]

30. 2 Billion?! The Pentagon sneezes 2 billion. n/t

[Earth_First]

31. B.F.D.

As in Big Fuc*kin' Deal.

As it was pointed out already, this accounts for a mere four tenths of one percent of the U.S. annual defense budget.

B.F.D.

[Posteritatis]

32. Venezuela's 2005 defense spending was $1.61 billion. Gah. (n/t)