After the launching of the socioeducational comprehensive programs to assist the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, Venezuela, fifth largest oil exporter worldwide, has decided to modernize its armed forces in the face of Washington’s threats.

With that aim, Caracas and Madrid agreed to transaction for the purchase by Caracas of transport aircrafts at a cost of 2 billion dollars. The action reveals the good intentions of the President of the Spanish government, José Luis Zapatero, towards Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías.
However, they did not count on the US capacity to prejudice, which, through one of its spokesmen in Madrid, stated that such a transaction had been blocked because the aircrafts had US technology. Inquired by the Spanish newspaper El País about the blocked transaction, the spokesman in question limited himself to say that this sale “could complicate the situation in South America”.

But Spanish national radio has cited government sources who have indicated that the contract will be observed and that the supplier EADS-CASA had contacted French companies to supply alternative technologies that would gnore US technologies and avoid Washington’s veto.

Over the last few years, the United States has blocked the sales of various European military materials (except for the British) to countries, whose independence the US fears.

Arthur Lepic