Venezuela's Chavez Calls For Alliance With Russia

**Ryan Ruck** · July 29th, 2008, 18:33

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, visiting Moscow to pursue weapons and energy deals, on Tuesday called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect his country from the United States.

Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting an invasion to destabilize his government, despite U.S. denials.

The alliance would mean "we can guarantee Venezuela's sovereignty, which is now threatened by the United States," Chavez told reporters shortly after his arrival in Moscow.

Chavez is in Russia to broker a number of deals involving weapons purchases, oil exploration and possibly the creation of a joint financial institution.

Welcoming Chavez at Meiendorf Castle, his residence outside Moscow, President Dmitry Medvedev said Russian-Venezuelan relations "are one of the key factors of security in the (South American) region."

It is the presidents' first meeting since Medvedev took office in May.

Venezuela's state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA signed separate deals with three Russian energy companies — Gazprom, Lukoil and TNK-BP — during the first day of Chavez's visit.

In addition, Russian media have reported that Chavez is expected to reach a number of agreements for purchasing Russian military hardware while in Moscow, with one paper reporting the deals could be worth up to $2 billion.

The newspaper Kommersant, generally regarded as reliable, reported Tuesday that Chavez is looking to order Ilyushin jets, diesel-powered submarines, Tor-M1 air defense systems and possibly tanks. It did not specify its sources.

"We want peace, but we are forced to strengthen our defense," Chavez said when asked about the potential deals upon his arrival.

Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms trader, declined to comment on potential deals.

Venezuela, which spent $4 billion on international arms purchases between 2005 and 2007, mostly from Russia and China, has a defense budget of $2.6 billion, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

The U.S. stopped supplying arms to Venezuela in 2006.

The three energy agreements involve exploring new oil fields in Venezuela. Chavez said they signified the "creation of a new strategic energy alliance" between Russia and Venezuela.

The deal with TNK-BP was particularly striking given the company's ongoing dispute between its Russian and British shareholders.

"For TNK-BP it is a positive sign that the shareholders' conflict has had no effect on the business," said Valery Nesterov, an analyst at Troika Dialog, an investment bank.

On Tuesday BP announced it would recall 60 technical specialists from Russia.

Chavez also wants to discuss the possibility of creating a joint bank, according to Alexis Navarro, Venezuela's ambassador to Moscow.

The Venezuelan president also met Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and was to meet Russian military and business leaders.

Commercial trade between Venezuela and Russia reached $1.1 billion last year, almost double the $517 million in trade during 2006, according to statistics cited by Venezuela's state-run news agency.

**Ryan Ruck** · July 31st, 2008, 17:49

Russia And Venezuela In Deal To Counter 'US Aggression'

With a long shopping list for state-of-the-art defence equipment under his arm, Mr Chavez did his best to ingratiate himself with his hosts.

He first signed off on a deal giving Russia's state-owned energy companies – often accused of doubling as private piggy banks for powerful Kremlin forces – exclusive rights to develop new deposits Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt.

Then he switched smoothly to flattery, with a call for the Russian rouble to replace the US dollar as the world's global currency.

"We in OPEC have proposed to put an end to the dollar," Mr Chavez said, speaking in his role as self-appointed spokesman for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Mr Chavez was given correspondingly warm welcome as he met with one old friend, prime minister Vladimir Putin, and one new one in the form of president Dmitry Medvedev.

Mr Medvedev was particularly effusive, describing Venezuela as Russia's "most important partner".

Ignoring accusations of electoral fraud and authoritarianism that have been directed at both countries, Mr Medvedev told his guest: "We have one common task; to make the surrounding world more democratic, fair and secure."

Despite the bonhomie, it was unclear whether Mr Chavez had got everything he had come for.

The Venezuelan leader wants to buy three submarines and 20 Tor-M1 air defence missile systems in a £1 billion arms contract that would undoubtedly infuriate the US.

Washington's anger, however, is unlikely to persuade Russia to desist.

Mr Putin, whose anti-American speeches were often as colourful as his Venezuelan counterpart's, revelled in his status as Venezuela's champion and principal ally.

So far Dmitry Medvedev, who became president in May, has shown few signs of wanting to depart from the foreign policy of Mr Putin, who has become prime minister and remains, in the eyes of many, Russia's most powerful man.

During Mr Putin's last term, Russia sold Venezuela over £2 billion in arms, from combat helicopters and Sukhoi fighter jets to Kalashnikov rifles.

**Ryan Ruck** · April 19th, 2010, 02:03

Chavez To Putin: “I Want To Be Your Friend”

April 1st, 2010

Almost a year ago, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez told President Obama, “I want to be your friend.” Today the much-photographed handshake at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad has become a cold shoulder. Sadly like much of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy, relations with arch-anti-American Hugo Chavez have fallen well short of expectations. Good intentions, positive gestures, and, a little naïveté has not stopped Hugo Chavez from pursuing his mission to consolidate authoritarian rule in Venezuela and undermine U.S. leadership and influence in the Americas.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Caracas on April 2 is designed to show that Russia is once again a strategic player in the Americas. It highlights the fact that Putin and Chavez share common objectives. They are united in hostility toward the U.S. and aim to trim U.S. global influence for democracy, economic freedom, and stable security.

The two countries enjoy an increasingly cozy buyer-seller relationship in advanced arms. Russia has sold billions of dollars worth of sophisticated arms to Venezuela. AK-47s, attack jets, tanks, armored personnel carrier, S-300 missile systems, and surface-to-air missiles have fattened Chavez’s arsenals and helped ignite a regional arms race. More are on the way. Finally, as major oil and gas producers, Chavez and Putin want to exploit the energy vulnerabilities of Western importers in order to keep prices high and drain off the resources needed to sustain their political and military ambitions.

While in Caracas, Putin is also scheduled to meet with Bolivia’s Evo Morales.

Some in Moscow and elsewhere might find it cruelly ironic that in the aftermath of the Moscow subway bombings, Putin still agrees to meet with a terror-friendly leader who has praised the career of Carlos “The Jackal” Ramirez, supported the narco-terrorism of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and stands on intimate terms with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

While most Americans find these growing Russian-Venezuelan ties troublesome, the Department of State and the Obama Administration have adopted a rather relaxed attitude.

When asked if the arms build-up in Venezuela was cause for concern, acting press spokesman Mark Toner answered “I think we’ve voiced our concerns, if you will, but our opinions about Venezuela’s need for these kinds of defense systems previously from the podium. Beyond that, Venezuela, Bolivia, any country, is entitled to pursue its own bilateral relationship with any other country, clearly.

Perhaps Congress and the American need to take a closer look at the Obama Administration’s laissez-faire, perhaps negligent, approach to security issues in the region.

**samizdat** · April 19th, 2010, 03:33

20 Billion from hu to hugo for oil futures.

DE 20.000 MILLONES DE DOLARES

CARACAS.- El presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, comprometió a China con el desembolse 20.000 millones de dólares para un plan de financiación "de gran volumen y a largo plazo", y a cambio garantizó más petróleo al gigante asiático