Venezuela Ready for War Against U.S - Colombia Pact

During an interview given in mid 2007, a member of the Venezuelan Central Command, General Alberto Muller, explained part of his country’s defense strategy in case of an invasion by the United States that may be carried out through neighboring Colombia. “The only way we can repel a U.S invasion is by a full scale guerilla war on our home ground. Like in Iraq, we will need to create a citizens army to fight the Yankee invaders,” said Muller. After the recent incursion by the Colombian Army into Ecuadorian territory on March 2, the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez made a gesture of solidarity with Ecuador and closed all border posts with Colombia, sent ten battalions to patrol the area and expelled that country’s ambassador from Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. At present Venezuela’s regular army has a total of 80,000 soldiers, but for the past three years a total of 2 million volunteers have been receiving military instruction in order to prepare for an invasion that is more certain than ever. Like in Iraq, George Bush may try to reach two objectives at the same time: eliminate a hostile political adversary such as Chavez and most important, take control of Venezuela’s rich oil fields to avoid further deterioration of the American economy. After all, Venezuela is not as far away as Iraq and the U.S armed forces have been collaborating with the Colombian army for nearly fifty years. In 1964, the United States Army declared that it had trained and equipped a force of approximately 5,000 Colombian soldiers in order to wipe out a smaller contingent of left wing rebels that had formed an autonomous region in the jungle called “The Republic of Marquetalia”. However this operation failed and the rebels went on to form the “Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)”, that according to the Colombian Army may have up to 30,000 members, and will surely team up with Venezuela in case of a U.S-Colombian invasion.
As follows is a summary of the present state of these two South American Armed Forces that it includes their most advanced weaponry:
1) Colombia: (country population: 38 million)
Due to “Plan Colombia” approved by President Bill Clinton in 1999, this country receives US$7 billion in military aid each year that includes weapons and training in U.S Army bases.
Army: 145,000 soldiers armed mostly with standard issue M -16 rifles and ammunition and have all other U.S weapons available.
Military Police: 105,000 soldiers.
Equipment: An undisclosed number of Blackhawk combat helicopters (capacity of 25 passengers).
27 UH60L multipurpose helicopters.
200 Brazilian EE Cascavel armored cars
Air Force:
20 Israeli Kfir combat jets frequently used to bomb rebel bases in the jungle.
Dozens of Embraer A-27 Tucano light combat aircraft.
Navy :
Submarines: 4
Destroyers : 3
Frigates : 12
Patrol Boats : 12
Supply Ships : 2

2) Venezuela (country population 26 million)
Since Hugo Chavez became President in 1998, Venezuela has spent billions of dollars to renew its military equipment, mostly with Russian assault rifles, fighter jets and helicopters.
Army :
80.000 soldiers.
Civilian reserve force: 2 million.
100,000 Kalashnikov AK-103 and AK-104 assault rifles were bought in 2007 at a cost of US$54 million.
40 Russian MI-17 combat helicopters
Air Force :
50 Russian MIG-29 SMT jet fighters
30 Russian Sukhoi Flanker jet fighters.
Flanker: Max Speed 1320 miles per hour. Maximum Range 1864 miles (3000 kilometers)


15 Brazilian Super Tucano light combat aircraft
6 Spanish C-295 transport aircraft
Early Warning radar systems for Air Space control.
Navy:
4 Spanish Frigates (2007)
6 Italian Lupo frigates (1979)