Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told a regional summit on Friday that there would be no Russian military bases on his country's territory. The 12 leaders of countries that make up the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) convened for an emergency summit in the Argentine resort city of Bariloche to discuss the scheduled deployment of U.S. troops at seven military bases in Colombia. "The U.S. blocks our imports of spare parts for military equipment. That's why we have asked Moscow...

Former Rear Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo, who used to be a National Security Adviser during Hugo Chávez's administration, witnessed some of the first attempts of the Venezuelan government to illegally supply weapons to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to an interview published on Monday by The New Herald. Molina, in exile in Europe after taking part in the failed coup d'état in 2002, said that retired Navy Captain Ramón...

In South America there is no arms race, "but it is unexplainable that Venezuela has engaged in an accelerated process of arms purchase," said Frank O. Mora, US Under Secretary of Defense, after visiting Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo. Mora paid an official visit to Paraguay and on Wednesday night, he met with Lugo, AP reported. "In the region, we think that there is no arms race," he said. He added, however, that "it is unexplainable that Venezuela has...

Iran Air 744 is a bimonthly flight that originates in Tehran and flies directly to Caracas with periodic stops in Beirut and Damascus. The maiden flight was Feb. 2, 2007. The mere existence of the flight was a significant concern for U.S. intelligence officials, but now a broader concern is who and what are aboard the flights. "If you [a member of the public] tried to book yourself a seat on this flight and it doesn't matter whether it's a week before, a month before, six months before...

William Páez, the 12th Trial Judge for Protection of Children and Adolescents in Caracas, changed his mind and repealed a ruling banning all Venezuelan daily and weekly newspapers, as well as magazines, from posting images of violent events over the next 30 days. The Legal Adviser of the Ombudsman Office, Larry Davoe, released the information in an interview with state-run television station Venezolana de Television (VTV). Earlier, Páez had advised daily newspaper El...

As part of the ongoing diplomatic relation and alliance between Iran and Venezuela, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez for his stance regarding the recent UN Security Council sanctions on Tehran. In the letter of gratitude he sent to Chavez, Ahmadinejad said, "Unfortunately, the UN Security Council and on top of it the US and its Western allies do not countenance the success and progress of independent countries and nations, and use...

The meeting between the rulers was held in a cordial atmosphere in San Pedro Alejandrino Estate, Santa Marta (Photo: Juan Carlos Solorzano / AFP) The presidents of Venezuela and Colombia, Hugo Chávez and Juan Manuel Santos, respectively, met on August 10 for over four hours in the San Pedro Alejandrino Estate, Santa Marta city, Colombia. After the meeting, the presidents of Venezuela and Colombia agreed to restore relations based on mutual respect. The rulers said they decided...

The US government hopes that the deal made by Venezuela and Colombia to restore relations results in a "positive solution" to mutual "longstanding" disagreements, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday. "We expect this outreach by President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the reception by President (Hugo) Chávez leads to some positive resolution of the longstanding issues," Clinton told reporters after a meeting at the US State Department...

1:54 pm Chávez said at the airport that he went to Colombia to ratify his love. "Long live Colombia! Long live Venezuela! And long live unity between us!" 1:53 pm Chávez: "We will begin here to patiently build what was torn to pieces." 1:50 pm: Chávez: "Coming to Santa Marta is the first wise decision we have made… This is a sacred land." 1:44 pm Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez arrived in Simón Bolívar airport...

Incoming US Ambassador to Venezuela Larry Palmer reported the US Senate on presumed low morale in the Venezuelan armed forces and Cuba's meddling, according to a questionnaire released on Wednesday. The questions, as reported by Efe news agency, were forwarded by Republic Senator Richar Lugar, as part of an assessment made by the US Congress to confirm or not Palmer's nomination to the US Embassy in Caracas. Based on the report, morale in Venezuelan armed forces "is considerably...