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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Chavez sez US warships threaten Cuba, Venezuela |
| 2006-04-20 |
| President Hugo Chavez, who accuses Washington of planning to invade Venezuela, said on Tuesday recent deployment of US warships in the Caribbean Sea threatened his country and its ally Cuba. Four US warships, including an aircraft carrier, and 6,500 sailors, are in a two-month deployment in the Caribbean Sea dubbed “Partnership of the Americas” by the US Navy. “They are doing maneuvers right here,” Chavez told a student meeting in the country’s west. “This is a threat, not just against us, against Venezuela, against Cuba.” Chavez has repeatedly accused the United States of trying to oust him. US officials say the self-styled socialist revolutionary and friend of Cuban President Fidel Castro threatens regional stability. Chavez, who has created a civilian reserve to resist the assault he says Washington is planning, has threatened to repel US forces with arrows coated with poison. The United States, a leading buyer of oil from Venezuela, the world’s No. 5 exporter, has dismissed his invasion talk as a ridiculous invention aimed at stirring up his supporters. At least one warship has come as close to Venezuela as the Dutch island of Aruba, about 15 miles (24 km) off its coast. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #12 A little trivia bit I was told by a swab who had been aboard the Enterprise, was that no matter where in the world they went, some dumbass would always shoot at them. Granted, they might be 20 miles offshore and they would be lobbing mortar rounds at them, but it's the principle of the thing. If there was any tangible threat, however, he noted that our ship Captains tend to be a testy lot, and not ones to turn the other cheek. This would sometimes result in things like an idiot with a hunting rifle experiencing the awe and mystery of having a large tree near him suddenly disintigrate under .50 cal fire, which teaches a valuable lesson, as it were. We can only hope that Hugo will decide to show us how macho he really is. Maybe if we start broadcasting loud messages from ship implying that he is a "girly man". |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-04-20 22:46 |
| #11 The mind games he is playing with his people will lead to horror. Either his making, or well, all his, when they awake. |
| Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412 2006-04-20 21:06 |
| #10 If only this were true. We used to have the balls to actually threaten little 3rd world saber-rattlers like this guy. |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-04-20 14:17 |
| #9 I really like tu3031. I really do. |
| Posted by: banned from rantburg 2006-04-20 13:30 |
| #8 So now, when nothing happens, Hugo can screech about how he scared the big, bad gringos away. I'd run the air wing in for a flyby over Caracas. Just to show him how easy it would really be if we wanted it to happen... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-04-20 13:21 |
| #7 What will it be in the tub tonight Hugo, battleships or ducks? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-04-20 13:16 |
| #6 Look up the latin phrase "mare nostrum", bitch. |
| Posted by: mojo 2006-04-20 11:33 |
| #5 At least one warship has come as close to Venezuela as the Dutch island of Aruba, about 15 miles (24 km) off its coast. Wait till they dock in Trinidad. It is just 9 miles from Venezuela. When they sail into Port of Spain harbor, the battle group will be a few miles from Venezuelan waters, within sight of the coast. Hugo can stand on the shore with a pair of binoculars and take a real good look at the F-18s on the flight deck. |
| Posted by: john 2006-04-20 11:00 |
| #4 theY make great poets |
| Posted by: bk 2006-04-20 10:17 |
| #3 very emotional, these latinos... the make great poets |
| Posted by: bk 2006-04-20 10:17 |
| #2 I wish. |
| Posted by: Omumble Threack1633 2006-04-20 05:35 |
| #1 A freeking legend in his own mind old Hugo is. It's just his usual frothing. Hey Hugo, your coast is on our Lake so "bite me." At least your hero Castro has a grasp of that fact of life. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2006-04-20 02:09 |