The Spanish government?s recent decision to approve the sale of eight Spanish patrol boats and 12 military aircraft to the Venezuelan government could not have come at a worse time for the Bush administration, which is reeling from the disastrous FTAA summit earlier this month (WAR Report). Combined with cooling relations with the Spanish government, which has been in turmoil since the election of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (see photo above) and the subsequent pullout of Spanish troops from Iraq , the US State Department is in need of good news. President Hugo Chavez (see photo below) is doing everything in his power to cause embarrassment and difficulties for US President George Bush and has been impressive in highlighting his diplomatic skills. Although this author feels Chavez’s administration will come crashing to a sudden and violent stop, credit must be given where credit is due. Chavez?s ability to manipulate the international media and political community may be unmatched in the history of Latin America; at the very least, Latin America has not seen a political leader like Chavez since the heyday of Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

Washington and the Bush administration would be wise to steer clear of a diplomatic entanglement with Chavez in regards to his recent buildup of armaments ? at least until arms sales from the US to Venezuela are curtailed. The inability of Washington to practice what they preach is astounding. With weapons sales for FY2005 to Latin America approaching $860 million, which is only slightly less than the total US economic aid to the Latin American region, taking the moral high ground on weapons procurement is not in the best interest of the administration. US Departments of Defense and Commerce records indicate that the US has been supplying the Chavez government with the necessary weaponry to squash opposition to his government. In 2003, Washington issued licenses for $43 million in military equipment sales, including a million cartridges, 1,000 pistols, and ammunition. In 2004, Washington issued $24.6 million in licenses, for $425,000 in tear gas, which has proven effective in dispersing opposition protests. This year, the Defense Department has approved export licenses for police gear, restraint devices, stun guns, and chemical agents.