Saturday, February 3, 2007

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce US critic who has been granted sweeping powers, has confirmed plans to buy missiles from Russia as part of a long-standing weapons upgrade.

The firebrand Socialist president said late Thursday that the purchase of Russian Top-MI missiles was imminent.

"We are going to buy missiles, Russian (ones), the most modern, to defend us, defend oil installations, strategic installations," Chavez said.

Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, has benefited from a surge in crude prices. Last year the country bought from Russia 24 Sukhoi 30 jet fighters, 53 MI-24 military helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Asked about the Russian missiles, Chavez, who has been granted power to rule by decree over the next 18 months in various sectors including the military, insisted on their high performance.

"These bugs don't miss their target, from several hundred kilometers (miles) away."

An ally of Cuba's Communist leader Fidel Castro, the Venezuelan government has sought to diversify its weapons sources in response to a US ban on the sale of arms with American-made components to the South American country.

"They are applying pressure to stop arm sales to us, which are all defensive weapons," Chavez said.

A year ago, Washington blocked a sale by Spain to Venezuela of military aircraft with US components. Caracas responded by vowing to buy arms from countries which share its anti-US stance.

On Thursday, Chavez signed a law that gives him the power to transform state institutions in 11 key sectors, including the military, economy, transportation, security and oil.

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