Stuart Munckton
"In what Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias has declared a victory for sovereignty, Spain proceeded with its sale of 12 aircraft and 8 patrol boats to the South American nation", reported Venezuelanalysis.com on November 28. This deal, worth approximately US$1.6 billion, is the largest defence order in Spain's history and was carried out despite strong US opposition.
The US government claimed the deal could have a "destabilising effect" on Latin America, according to the November 24 Los Angeles Times, implying the deal could help fuel an arms race in the Andean region. Earlier this year the US criticised Venezuela for purchasing 100,000 rifles from Russia, claiming Venezuela may supply the guns to left-wing guerrillas in Colombia, something Venezuela strongly denied.
The LA Times reported, "Spain must secure an export license from the United States to sell the boats and aircraft to Venezuela because they contain U.S. engines and instrumentation, and sale of the technology is restricted". The US attempted to use this fact to stymie the deal. Eduardo Aguirre, the US ambassador to Spain, was quoted in the article saying, "We have not decided yet whether or not to grant our permission for obtaining that technology".
Venezuela and Spain proceeded with the deal regardless, and both countries have rejected US accusations that the deal could lead to an arms race. Spain's defence minister Jose Bono explained: "It's a lie to say we're selling arms. It's defensive equipment whose use is essentially civil", according to Venezuelanlaysis.com. Venezuela has explained that the equipment will be used to patrol its border with Colombia as part of its campaign against drug trafficking. Ironically, the US accused Venezuela of not doing enough to combat drug trafficking after Venezuela suspended its cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Agency in July over accusations that the DEA was violating Venezuelan sovereignty.
In a November 29 statement, the Washington-based think-tank Centre for Hemispheric Affairs accused the US government of hypocrisy, questioning whether the deal will be "any more menacing than the $500 million sale of U.S. F-16s to Chile, which demonstrably has the potential to trigger an arms race with Peru and Argentina". Venezuelanylsis.com pointed out that despite "U.S. concerns of an increase in weapons in the region, the country continues to provide it with military aid". US military aid in the 2005 financial year amounts to $860 million, just less than economic aid at $921 million.
It isn't hard to see the real motives behind Washington's opposition to the arms deal between Spain and Venezuela. The US has always been the main supplier of equipment of this type to Venezuela. It is in the interests of the US corporations that profit from such sales, but also in the interests of US foreign policy in general, to keep Venezuela dependent on buying its military equipment from the US, as part of a broader scheme to undermine Venezuela's ability to exercise genuine independence.
Washington is also looking for any stick it can find with which to beat Chavez's revolutionary, anti-imperialist government. As well as providing a living example of an anti-neoliberal alternative, Venezuela has been the backbone of the campaign against the US-pushed Free Trade Area of the Americas, and has counterposed policies aimed at creating a Latin American economic bloc to challenge US domination. The US has run a constant campaign all year aiming to demonise the Venezuelan government, accusing it of arming guerrillas in Colombia and funding unrest across the continent. Implying that Venezuela is entering an arms race, or wants the equipment for sinister purposes, is part of the same campaign. Also, by attempting to deny Venezuela equipment it needs to carry out a serious struggle against drug trafficking, the US hopes to be able to undermine that struggle in order to be able to continue claiming that Venezuela is not pulling its weight in the "war on drugs".
However, as seems to be happening with increased frequency in Latin America, the US has failed to get its way.
From Green Left Weekly, December 7, 2005.
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