MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish military sales to Venezuela: “nothing to fear”

Spain's president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Tuesday in Venezuela that United States has nothing to fear from the sale of Spanish military vessels and aircraft to President Hugo Chavez administration.

During a press conference following a regional summit involving host President Chavez, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero said the eight naval ships and 12 aircraft Spain plans to sell Venezuela are intended for transport and coastal defence purposes.

"The ships and planes will aid in the battle against drug trafficking and in coping with natural disasters" said the Spanish president adding that "under no circumstances can they be defined as having an offensive purpose".

Colombian President Uribe said that the purchase of such equipment by Venezuela could contribute to interrupt the flow of weapons to Colombia's leftist guerrillas and right-wing militias, thereby "advancing the cause of peace in the strife-torn Andean nation".

Mr. Rodriguez Zapatero further pointed out that President Uribe, (Washington's closest ally in Latin America) knows Spain is a standing partner in Bogota's "titanic and exemplary effort to achieve peace and end terrorism".

Venezuela's President Chavez, who is rapidly becoming the main "instability" force in the region (surpassing Fidel Castro) to the eyes of the Bush administration, underlined no one can be alarmed by Caracas's plans to procure armaments and materiel, whether from Spain or other nations.

"The Spanish aircraft are transport equipment, not combat, as the existing fleet of F-16 fighter-bombers purchased from United States".

Though U.S. officials have been expressing concern for months over Chavez's planned arms purchases, they have not focused on the Spanish deals but rather on Venezuela's acquisition of 100,000 AK47 assault rifles and military helicopters from Russia.

The Spanish president and Brazil's Lula da Silva were co-sponsors of the regional summit of president Chavez and Uribe, whom a few weeks ago were involved in a serious diplomatic and political incident when bounty hunters kidnapped an outstanding leader of the Colombian guerrilla movement FARC living in Caracas, and handed him to Colombian authorities.

President Chavez was furious and froze trade and bilateral relations until Colombia apologized. However President Uribe who has insistently claimed Colombian guerrillas use Venezuelan territory as sanctuary said he would do so if tougher border controls were imposed.

Brazil and Spain mediation helped to find an elegant way out for both presidents.