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Hillary Clinton - Source: Reuters -
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed concern about
what she said was the growing number of arms purchases by Venezuela
and the potential for an arms race in the region.
"We have expressed concerned about the number of Venezuelan arms
purchases. They outpace all other countries in South America and
certainly raise questions as to whether there is going to be an
arms race in the region," Clinton told reporters after a meeting
with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez.
The State Department said on Monday that President Hugo Chavez'
announcement that Russia would loan Venezuela $US2.2 billion to
purchase 92 tanks and advanced anti-aircraft missiles might spur
other countries to add arms.
Chavez, a fierce critic of US foreign policy, also set alarm bells
ringing in Washington when he announced this month that Venezuela
would step up energy sector cooperation with Iran, another US
foe.
In recent years, Venezuela has bought over $US4 billion in weapons
from Russia including 24 Sukhoi fighter jets. Critics say Chavez is
gearing up for an arms race in Latin America, but he says he is
modernizing the military for defensive purposes.
Clinton urged Venezuela to be more transparent about its weapons
purchase policies.
"They should be putting in place procedures and practices to ensure
that the weapons they buy are not diverted to insurgent groups or
organizations like drug trafficking gangs and other cartels,"
Clinton said.
"So there is concern that we have expressed and will continue to
raise with other countries in the region. And we hope that we
can see a change in behaviour and attitude on the part of the
Venezuelan Government," Clinton said.
Venezuela is embroiled in a diplomatic dispute with neighbouring
Colombia over its security agreement with Washington that will
allow US troops into more Colombian bases to help fight drug
traffickers and guerrillas.
With tensions running high over the US-Colombia military pact and
Venezuela's plan to buy more Russian weapons, South American
defence officials met on Tuesday in Quito to try to avoid an arms
crisis.
Chavez says the Colombian bases plan could be used to launch an
attack on Venezuela and increases the risk of war in South
America.
A senior State Department official, speaking on background, said
the US concern over Venezuela's arms purchases had been growing for
some time, although the Russian purchase deal had thrown it into
sharper relief.
"It's an accumulation of a number of contacts that they've had with
countries outside of the hemisphere," the official said.
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