MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chavez displays new Russian planes and arms

Venezuela' Hugo Chavez celebrated Wednesday the country's Independence Day with a display of sophisticated aircrafts and arms purchased from Russia following an arms and spares freeze imposed by United States several months ago.

Standing next to his Mercosur colleagues from Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, Chavez presided over a massive military parade and official presentation of the first two Sukhoi 30 fighter bombers with which the Venezuelan Air Force is soon to be equipped.

"The US government has systematically sabotaged us by ignoring existing contracts and commitments, delaying or simply never sending the needed spares for our US manufactured aircrafts", complained President Chavez during his Independence address in direct reference to a wing of F 16 fighter bombers, most of which have been grounded because of lack of spares.

On Wednesday Venezuela celebrated its 195th independence anniversary from Spanish colonial rule and its first day as full member of Mercosur.

On Tuesday an extraordinary summit of Mercosur with presidents Nestor Kirchner from Argentina; Lula da Silva, Brazil; Nicanor Duarte, Paraguay; Tabare Vazquez, Uruguay and associate member Bolivian leader Evo Morales signed the official Venezuela incorporation protocol.

Last May Washington froze all military sales to Venezuela claiming the Chavez administration was not cooperating in the fight against terrorism.

"The Air Force is recovering its operational capability, particularly now that we have seen crossing our skies the world's most powerful fighter planes which will soon be arriving to Venezuela in big waves", said Chavez.

The two Sukhoi aircrafts with Venezuelan pilots led the air parade together with Mirages and F16 trailing. Chavez revealed that the fighter planes arrived Monday directly from Russia and had over flown Caracas.

The parade also included several National Guard rural commandos carrying for the first time the Russian assault rifles Kalashnikov AF130. Venezuela purchased 100.000 of these rifles for the Venezuelan Armed Forces, 30.000 of which have already been distributed.

A special guest of the parade was the former Russian General Mijail Kalashnikov, 87, who was the designer of the world famous assault rifle and a World War II hero of the former Soviet Union.

A group of Argentine forces also marched through Caracas: 22 offices from the Presidential Guard and the ceremonial San Margin Mounted Grenadiers.

In his speech Chavez said "the day must come when Mercosur has its own defense organization, merging our Armed Forces in the framework of a joint and specific security, sovereignty and defense strategy".

The two hours long parade included personnel and equipment from the three services, the National Guard, armored battalions and the Territorial Guard made up of civilian volunteers.

"Venezuela is not preparing itself for aggression but beware who ever dares to meddle with us because we're committed to sacrifice our lives to safeguard the sovereignty of this land", highlighted Chavez.

Earlier in the day President Chavez Communications Minister supported North Korea's missile testing arguing that all countries have a right to develop their "missile technology".

"It was only a test and scientific development must be without exclusions, not limited to a few privileged countries", said Minister William Lara.

The Chavez administration has openly promoted the so called "multi-polar" world in contrast with the current "uni-polar" scenario dominated by United States and has shown full support for "evil axis" countries such as North Korea, Syria, Iran.