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Ran accross this article:
Russia to Modernize Nicaraguan Military’s Arsenal
MANAGUA (AP) — Russia’s ambassador to Managua said Wednesday that his country will replace the Nicaraguan army’s aging weaponry.Ambassador Igor S. Kondrashev said there are no plans, however, to expand the Central American country’s military arsenal.
Nicaragua acquired most of its arms and military equipment from the former Soviet Union in the 1980s, when the leftist Sandinista government was fighting U.S.-backed rebels. The army has insisted it needs new helicopters and Navy ships to patrol Caribbean waters, where there is a boundary dispute with Colombia.
Kondrashev made the comments in an interview with Canal 8 TV station, but he did not say if Russia would ask for financial compensation or would simply replace the equipment as a gift to Nicaragua — which was one of the first nations to support Russia in its war against Georgia.
Kondrashev applauded President Daniel Ortega’s government for formally recognizing the independence of the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on Sept. 5.
Kondrashev also did not say the plans included replacement of Nicaragua’s shoulder-fired SAM-7 missiles. The United States has been trying to negotiate destruction of those weapons to keep them from landing in terrorists’ hands.
Last year, Ortega promised to destroy more than 650 of Nicaragua’s remaining 1,051 Soviet-made missiles in exchange for hospital equipment and medicine from the United States.
Russia also has been building military ties with Ortega’s ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Kondrashev said a group of Russian experts would visit Nicaragua next month to identify other potential joint projects, including petroleum exploration in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean and the construction of roads and bridges.
This is very concerning given Ortega’s past history. Can anyone tell me where the border between Nicaragua and Colombia is?
I would be more concerned about these events giving the U.S. possible excuses for further meddling in Central America. That has NEVER resulted in anything good for Central Americans. Ever. The more balanced the international involvement in any country, the better.
On the other hand, look at Venezuela and Cuba. Both of those countries now have a high level of self respect and respect from neighbors for being able to oust strangling American corporate controllers. Panama and Guatemala cannot say that and Nicaragua is still trying to get back on the right path.
I would agree with your view of Venezuela and US medeling in Central America, however, Venezuelas power is only possible because of oil. Fact is that their oil is very heavy Orinoco crude, which is low quality and very difficult to refine. It can only be refined in handful of refineries. The predominant refinery is Valero in the the US and the main refinery on Aruba. If history is a lesson, Chavez’s rule will be short lived. The wealthy in Venezuela departed long ago.
Cuba is a poor, desperate country with great beauty and people, but they produce nothing of great world market value other than sugar and cigars. The sugar market is depressed and their cigars are not allowed in the US. Their infrasructure remains as it was in the height of their prosperity, which was the 1950’s and 60’s. They even have two forms of currency, one for the residents, which is worthless and one for foreigners. Unfortunately, the US stance against Cuba is very outdated and a lot of companies have missed the opportunity to capitalize on their tourism market as has Canada and the EU.
The wealth in Venezuela did NOT depart a long time ago – that’s simply not true.
We have clients from Venezuela, who live in Venezuela, who have VERY successful businesses in Venezuela and who have invested MILLIONS of dollars in Costa Rica real estate. Like most wealthy people they diversify their portfolios by investing in different countries.
It might be interesting to note that the US has socialized more big business than Venezuela has just in the last few weeks and the popularity of Chavez far exceeds the popularity of the US President…
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comAnd they have free press too? Chavez is dictatorial and has taken huge amounts of land from land owners and resditributed to the poor. Those land owners have left the country. It is not hard to have a high approval rating when you live in fear and the approval rating of the US Congress is lower than the president. Bottom line is there is a 80% disatisfaction with government in the US.
In 1983 Venezuela spent 7.4% of GDP on eduction, it is now less than 4% with a dramatic increase in GNP. Health care went from 14% to 6%. Critics of Chavez believe that he is autocratic and tyrannical. After his 1998 election Chavez helped rewrite the constitution and extended the length of his presidency. He also created a law that gave him supra-congressional authority – the ability to pass a law without congressional approval in certain circumstances. Using this power, he gave many jobs in the oil industry to his friends, regardless of their experience. He has also threatened to close down the privately owned press when reporters wrote stories critical of his actions and policies. Venezuela’s oil industry generates at least half of the government’s income. However, only a minority of Venezuelans have profited from the oil boom: more than 65 percent of the population live below the poverty line.
A once stable bastion of South America does not seem such a free country where one can pursue wealth with Chavez at the helm unless they are beholden to him.
Another cause for concern….
Putin says Russia might help Chávez go nuclear
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he is ready to consider helping Venezuela develop a nuclear energy program.
Putin made the comment Thursday as he met with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez outside Moscow. Earlier, the Kremlin said it would lend Venezuela $1 billion so the South American country can buy Russian military hardware.
There was no further explanation of Venezuela’s nuclear plans. The country has extensive petroleum reserves. But Chavez did say in 2005 that his scientists were trying to diversify energy production in the face of global warming. He said Venezuela was considering a nuclear option.
Argentina, Brazil and México each have two reactors used for generating power.
Nuclear projects by Venezuela are sure to raise concerns in Latin America and the United States because Chávez is rearming the country. Some reactors can produce enriched uranium that is vital to weaponry. Chávez himself is widely considered a major source of instability in the region.
Among his Russian purchases are modern fighter jets that could deliver bombs throughout northern South American and parts of Central America.
Chávez has been friendly with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president who is causing so much concern in the United States and Israel because of his country’s nuclear program. Ahmadinejad has visited Nicaragua and President Daniel Ortega there.Chávez is making his second trip to Russia in two months. The visit comes as a Russian naval squadron sails to Venezuela for joint military exercises. Earlier this month, two Venezuelan bombers conducted air patrol flights over neutral waters in the Caribbean.
Venezuela’s efforts to forge closer ties with Russia come as both countries criticize U.S. foreign policy.
Separately, Chávez is seeking to boost ties with China through increased oil sales to reduce his country’s dependence on the United States.
The Venezuelan leader Thursday said his country aims to increase oil exports to China to one million barrels a day within four years.
Venezuela currently sends China more than 300,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
Chávez, however, said his plan to increase oil shipments to China does not mean a cut in supplies to the United States. Before flying to Russia, Chávez visited China to meet with President Hu Jintao and sign deals on energy cooperation.
Chavez is the result of US meddling and unregulated capitalism. It is the usual reaction to concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and apeople getting tired of abuse by a ruling class.
Yah I guess you are right Chavez and his sick mental condition are the result of the american way of life and our government. I don’t recall an american president acting the way this childish dictator did while visiting the United Nations. I guess that type of behavior in public is mild in comparision to how this little sicko is to his own people. I don’t recall tha last time an american president took land from the rich to give to the poor. In America if you work hard and save you can achieve things but if you choose to drop out of school and expext hand outs from the government then what. I guess we should not have meddled in France, Japan, Kuwait,Somalia and so on.
Hey Scott
I’m not so sure Chevez and all the “changes” in Venezuela are something you want to defend. There will always be sucessful business people that stay behind when a dictator takes over… they’re the ones helping to fund his plans… and line their pockets. I can’t see that Chavez’s plans, actions, changes in government, and above all his military spending are signs of something good in Venezuela in the long run.
As for the “socialization” of big business in the US… a bailout to keep the markets from crashing is a bit different than taking them over in good shape to fund your “revolution” (ego) as Chevez has done. Time will tell if he’s the “savior” the people want…. more likely he’ll be nothing more than a dictator trying his best to make the people BELIEVE they live in a democracy… as he spends the next 25 years at the helm!
What sott is saying is TRUE:
Many venezuelans are coming to the US and other countries to hide, save or invest their $$ before Chavez takes it. There are many weathy Venenuelan citizens that are doing this.
This is not a defense for Chavez but what citizens in Venezuela are doing with their $$, they are TAKING their $$ out of the country so that Chavez cannot take it and they are investing worldwide.
Would you have $1,000,000 or $10,000,000 in Venezuela NOW, not you would take it out of the country invest them and PROTECT out of Chavez’s reach and Costa Rica is one safe haven besides Miami but in Miami they got burned, not so in Costa Rica.
Warren
So What?
Is it ok for Aries to turn Costa Rica’s back on Taiwan and recognize the red chinese?
The free world enimies with the largest army in the world? Bushy wants to give his rich friends $700,000,000,000.00 and let our enimies in China buy up the bonds and pay the Chinese interest on top of it. You don’t see the $700 billion written with all the zeros. Please cite me one case where Chavez has illegally confiscated ANY property that had the proper paperwork and gave the farms back to the poor people along with a free tractor and subsidized food. This was property that was stolen from the poor to begin with. Chavez has been elected by an overwhelming majority of the people not once , twice but many times. Bushy is afraid people in the USA are going to want election by majority. Chavez offered the USA oil at $40 a barrel for a long term contract. Bushy said no. Boy Chavez really got it stuck to him. Now Chavez is selling Venezuelan coffee in the Citgo gas stations Venezuela owns: the coffee is better and cheaper.
Stan
President
BBEIn the end, most of the working people around the planet don’t give a hoot about the finer points of economic or political morality. They take action,usually belatedly, only after extreme abuse of power by controlling right wing governance.
Cuba has won its independence from the US at a material cost which it has slowly recovered after almost half a century. Venezuela will not have that steep a cost since they have oil. Both countries are governed by populist and popular leaders. Both countries have elections whic may well be more honest and forthright thanour ownherein the States have been recently.
I was not aware that I was defending Chavez but I do NOT believe that you can accurately describe a freely elected politician a “Dictator”.
With hundreds of signing statements – the most of any President – allowing him to completely ignore the laws of his own nation, torture on a massive scale, renditions, illegally spying on his own citizens and the shredding of the Constitution, it would seem to me that GWB is far more of a Dictator than Chavez ever was..
As for military spending, Venezuela’s military spending may sound like a lot of money but in the US: “The Department of Defense’s planned expenditures for the fiscal year 2008 are larger than all other nations’ military budgets combined.” [ http://www.alternet.org/story/83555/ ] So it’s really quite trivial…
And why is this bailout “different”? You are either a capitalist or you’re not, there is no in between or special circumstances and that’s exactly what the US has been preaching…
LET IT CRASH! Like a rotting tree, you may be able to prop it up for a while but at the end of the day it will fall… And this bailout is only delaying and making the inevitable far more painful.
The US and it’s “Economic Hitmen” [ http://www.economichitman.com/ ] have been running around the world for decades talking about how they know best and how wonderful the free market is and now when it’s convenient after the greedy became far too greedy – with this proposed bailout, they are doing exactly what they have always been telling others NOT to do….
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comScott….
Would the Castro brothers ALSO quailfy as “freely elected politicians” by your standard? Seems Hugo is cut from the same cloth and makes no bones about it! Most dictators come to power as a savior of the people… remember that little German fellow that caused all that fuss in the 40s? A true savior of the people… that went on to cause World War 2…. he came to power as a NICE guy too!
As for GWB… right, wrong or indifferent…. was elected by the people. And the changes and actions taken were ONLY taken due to events that he did not bring about. As for all the actions taken by GWB… I know quite a few people and NONE have been impacted by the changes…. do you know anyone?
And when it comes to the financial mess… perhaps it’s a natural result in a capitalist system… greed being part of that system… but come now Scott… do you really think allowing the markets to fail is a good idea? Plagues are a natural event that add strength to mankind by thinning out the weak… just as a failing food supply controls and strengthens wildlife… should we when allow plagues to run their course without intervention as well?
Lets place the blame where it belongs… EVERYONE got greedy… and when the music stops… we all pay the price! I’m in no way in favor of a bailout that lets those responsible off the hook… perhaps we should look at how the folks in Sweden handled the same problem a few years back…
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