Venezuela troops get 30,000 new Russian rifles

CARACAS, Venezuela, June 3 (Reuters) Venezuela received a shipment of 30,000 new Russian rifles today, weeks after Washington restricted U.S. arms sales to Caracas over concerns about President Hugo Chavez's ties to Cuba and Iran.

Venezuela says the AK103 Kalashnikov rifles and 25 million rounds are part of efforts to modernize its military, but the U.S. government has opposed the deals because of worries the weapons could help destabilize the region.

Venezuela, a major oil exporter, is locked in an increasingly tense standoff with Washington, which accuses Chavez of eroding democracy and using his petroleum wealth to undermine his South American neighbors.

''We should have the 100,000 rifles established in the contract by the end of the year,'' Defense Minister Adm. Orlando Maniglia said. ''Our frontiers will now be re-equipped with this new, modern weapon.'' He said the rifles, part of a multimillion-dollar arms deal, would replace aging FAL weapons and Russia would help Venezuela build plants to make its own Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition in a few years.

Chavez, who accuses Washington of trying to oust him or invade Venezuela, has trimmed military cooperation with the United States and ordered officers and civilian reservists to train for a possible guerrilla war against U.S. troops.

First elected in 1998, Chavez says his self-described socialist revolution for the poor counters U.S. influence in South America and he has bolstered energy ties with Russia, China and Cuba to curb Venezuela's traditional reliance on the United States.

Washington last month banned U.S. arms sales to Chavez's government because of jitters about his ties with Havana and Tehran and what it called his inaction against Marxist FARC guerrillas in neighboring Colombia.

The U.S. government had already moved to block Spain's attempts to sell CARACAS, Venezuela, June 3 (Reuters) Venezuela received a shipment of 30,000 new Russian rifles today, weeks after Washington restricted U.S. arms sales to Caracas over concerns about President Hugo Chavez's ties to Cuba and Iran.

Venezuela says the AK103 Kalashnikov rifles and 25 million rounds are part of efforts to modernize its military, but the U.S. government has opposed the deals because of worries the weapons could help destabilize the region.

Venezuela, a major oil exporter, is locked in an increasingly tense standoff with Washington, which accuses Chavez of eroding democracy and using his petroleum wealth to undermine his South American neighbors.

''We should have the 100,000 rifles established in the contract by the end of the year,'' Defense Minister Adm. Orlando Maniglia said. ''Our frontiers will now be re-equipped with this new, modern weapon.'' He said the rifles, part of a multimillion-dollar arms deal, would replace aging FAL weapons and Russia would help Venezuela build plants to make its own Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition in a few years.

Chavez, who accuses Washington of trying to oust him or invade Venezuela, has trimmed military cooperation with the United States and ordered officers and civilian reservists to train for a possible guerrilla war against U.S. troops.

First elected in 1998, Chavez says his self-described socialist revolution for the poor counters U.S. influence in South America and he has bolstered energy ties with Russia, China and Cuba to curb Venezuela's traditional reliance on the United States.

Washington last month banned U.S. arms sales to Chavez's government because of jitters about his ties with Havana and Tehran and what it called his inaction against Marxist FARC guerrillas in neighboring Colombia.

The U.S. government had already moved to block Spain's attempts to sell $2 billion in military ships and planes to Chavez and opposed a deal for Brazilian jets because they contained U.S.-made military technology.

Angered by Washington's restrictions, Chavez says he could buy Sukhoi fighters from Russia instead and has warned he could sell his U.S.-made F-16 jets to China or Cuba. Venezuela has already purchased Russian attack helicopters this year.

''We have to do something about the F-16s. We have to replace them now that they (U.S.) are definitely not going to sell us any more planes or even any spare parts,'' Maniglia said.

Reuters PDS VP0405 billion in military ships and planes to Chavez and opposed a deal for Brazilian jets because they contained U.S.-made military technology.

Angered by Washington's restrictions, Chavez says he could buy Sukhoi fighters from Russia instead and has warned he could sell his U.S.-made F-16 jets to China or Cuba. Venezuela has already purchased Russian attack helicopters this year.

''We have to do something about the F-16s. We have to replace them now that they (U.S.) are definitely not going to sell us any more planes or even any spare parts,'' Maniglia said.

Reuters PDS VP0405